Read the Lectionary Texts   Rev. Rhonda A. Blevins, Senior Pastor Chapel by the Sea, Clearwater Beach FL   Do you know what this is? This is called a newspaper. This is how people used to get the news before 24-hour cable and the internet and smart phones. People used to actually read the news. I know it’s crazy but it’s true. Whether you read or heard or saw or absorbed the news through osmosis this week, here’s some of what you observed:  a high-school coach convicted of multiple counts of child sexual abuse, countless Gazan and Israeli civilians now [READ MORE]

Read the Lectionary Texts   If Jesus lived in South he probably wouldn’t be talking about tiny mustard seeds growing into big plants whose branches are large and strong enough for birds to perch in. No, if Jesus lived in places like here in East Tennessee he’d be talking about kudzu. Now kudzu is not native to Tennessee, or even to the United States. It comes from China and Japan and was first introduced to this country at the Japanese Pavilion in the 1876 Centennial Exposition held in Philadelphia. It was touted as a vine that could control soil [READ MORE]