top of page
Search


Final Exam
Before the school year fades from memory, how about an end-of-semester test? Don’t worry, it’s open book. And also, your score won’t go...

Dick Sharber
Jun 302 min read


Which Way Should I Go?
This month marks the biggest change in Susie’s life in over twenty years – as she retires from teaching (8th grade earth science). The...

Dick Sharber
Jun 32 min read


Gardening for the Soul
Yesterday I was checking on a lady who had lost her mother a few months earlier. She had been grieving deeply, but noted she was doing...

Dick Sharber
May 52 min read


For Later and For Now
Christ’s victory over death means many things for us. What better proof of life after death , that the resurrection provides? What...

Dick Sharber
Mar 312 min read


Prayers for a Lenten Journey
The season leading to Easter has traditionally had simple themes: following Jesus through prayer and reflection, renunciation and...

Dick Sharber
Mar 92 min read


Annual Report
Give thanks in all circumstances . And how much more when the love in our congregation keeps flowing, when deeply rooted faith guides us,...

Dick Sharber
Feb 12 min read


Fear and Faith
Hopeful for the new year? Hopeful about a new direction, or challenge (or whatever is new in your life)? Our attitude depends partly on...

Dick Sharber
Jan 62 min read


Good News Beyond Church Doors
Who observes Christmas in our country? About nine-in-ten Americans (92%) as well as a big majority (81%) of non-Christians in the US ...

Dick Sharber
Dec 3, 20242 min read


State of the State (ABCNJ)
The Annual Session of American Baptist Churches of New Jersey took place early in October. As usual, the big room was packed – an...

Dick Sharber
Nov 8, 20242 min read


Faith in Normal Language
How many people have you led to Christ, using the “Roman Road”?

Dick Sharber
Sep 29, 20242 min read


Divine Initiative/Human Freedom
Meeting a sick elderly man in the hospital with his son bedside, the mood was bleak. The patient’s future appeared likely to continue...

Dick Sharber
Sep 13, 20242 min read


The Elephant (or Donkey) in the Room
Thinking politically. We can hardly get away from it this season! So where do we start? We hope to have our politics thoroughly...

Dick Sharber
Jul 4, 20242 min read


Praying Jesus' Way
(From Christianity Today, Author Andrew Wilson) Most of us pray the Lord’s Prayer backwards. A few years ago, my wife and I were on an...
Andrew Wilson
Jun 11, 20242 min read


Still Waters, Still Available
Long ago, a “field worker” with extended outdoor shifts looked around at those in his charge – a flock of sheep. In a prayerful state of...

Dick Sharber
May 7, 20242 min read


Crossing Over To Life
Max Lucado tells the story of a missionary in Brazil who discovered a tribe of Indians in a remote part of the jungle. They lived near a...

Dick Sharber
Apr 3, 20243 min read


The Quiet Side of Faith
Mornings can have a bleak side for me. Even in a warm and safe house, usually after a decent night’s sleep, with work that I’m happy to...

Dick Sharber
Mar 2, 20242 min read


The Becomers
The psalms reflect two sides of our nature. One theme is our waywardness and need for forgiveness and a Savior. As in the abject...

Dick Sharber
Feb 1, 20242 min read


Annual Report
Hamburg Baptist Church celebrated our 225th birthday in July, noting connections with our roots, illustrated by a state-of-the-art...

Dick Sharber
Jan 6, 20242 min read


A Step Toward Christmas Peace
Lebanon-born Ali Elhajj came to faith in Christ while living in America. As he encountered evangelical culture, he became troubled by how...

Dick Sharber
Dec 2, 20232 min read


If Life Were a Ballgame
Growing up, daydreams were typically of being a baseball star (or a singer in a band). Many years later, parallels keep coming, between...

Dick Sharber
Nov 6, 20232 min read
bottom of page