Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883

Articles written by Rev. Mindy Meier


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  • Sermonette: October 9, 2023

    Rev. Mindy Meier, First Congregational Church|Oct 9, 2023

    The Apostle Paul loved the church in Corinth. It was arguably his favorite group of people he led to faith. He opened a church there, with high hopes of their leadership in passing on the faith. Corinth was a rich mixture of Greek, Hellenistic and Roman influences. Not only culturally diverse, but geographically in a location that connected mainland Greece with the Peloponnese. Many different cultures and people of different religious backgrounds lived there, as Corinth was a hub of commerce and innovation. The gospel Paul brought there was...

  • Sermonette: Jan. 27, 2020

    Rev. Mindy Meier, Congregational Church|Jan 27, 2020

    This is from the devotional, “God is in the Manger” by Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German Lutheran pastor who was imprisoned and executed for participating in a plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler. In an incomparable reversal of all righteous and pious thinking, God declares Godself guilty to the world and thereby extinguishes the guilt of the world. God himself takes the humiliating path of reconciliation and thereby sets the world free. God wants to be guilty of our guilt and takes upon himself the punishment and suffering that this guilt bro...

  • Sermonette: Jan. 20, 2020

    Rev. Mindy Meier, First Congregational Church|Jan 20, 2020

    This is from the devotional, “God is in the Manger” by Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German Lutheran pastor who was imprisoned and executed for participating in a plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler. God becomes human, really human. While we endeavor to grow out of our humanity, to leave our human nature behind us, God becomes human, and we must recognize that God wants us also to become human— really human. Whereas we distinguish between the godly and the godless, the good and the evil, the noble and the common, God loves real human beings witho...

  • Sermonette: Jan. 13, 2020

    Rev. Mindy Meier, First Congregational church|Jan 13, 2020

    This is from the devotional, “God is in the Manger” by Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German Lutheran pastor who was imprisoned and executed for participating in a plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler. Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ Or ‘What will we drink?’ Or Whatever will we wear?’ For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your Heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all the...

  • Sermonette: Jan. 06, 2020

    Rev. Mindy Meier, First Congregational Church|Jan 6, 2020

    This is from the devotional, “God is in the Manger” by Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German Lutheran pastor who was imprisoned and executed for participating in a plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler. Authority over the world is supposed to lie on the weak shoulders of this newborn baby! (Isa 9:6) One thing we know: these shoulders will come to carry the entire burden of the world. With the cross, all the sin and distress of this world will be loaded on these shoulders. But authority consists in the fact that the bearer does not collapse under the bur...

  • Sermonette: Oct. 28, 2019

    Rev. Mindy Meier, First Congregational Church|Oct 28, 2019

    I need to exercise more. No doubt. I know this. Our town (and the internet!) has resources to help me carve out time for exercise. Exercise lengthens lives, and increases quality of life. It helps our brains and our mental health. So why don’t I do it? Maybe, for you, it’s not exercise. Maybe you’re good at exercise. But you have something. You have something you wish was better in your life. You have something you know would be good for you, but you still don’t do enough. Prayer and/or meditation? Morning devotions? Don’t floss enough? D...

  • Sermonette: Oct. 21, 2019

    Rev. Mindy Meier, First Congregational Church|Oct 21, 2019

    The John Tesh radio show told me about an experiment done on competitive bicyclists. All the participants started by competing in a hot-weather bike ride. Then they were split in half, one group continued to train physically in the hot-weather conditions, and the other group focused their training on mental health, including positive affirmations, learning how to deal with uncomfortable situations while racing. In the follow-up competition, the group who focused on mental training improved their speed and duration by 25%. We’ve all heard s...

  • Sermonette: In winter, God prepares us for what is to come

    Rev. Mindy Meier, First Congregational Church|Jan 28, 2019

    This time of year, snow covers the ground. Everything is white and beautiful, and the whole of nature seems to be in deep peace. If it’s not windy. But I know what my yard looked like a couple months ago, that the white flakes have covered fallen brown leaves, withered grass and plants. It’s all there, but it won’t be seen now as long as winter lasts. Winter is hard for me, my mood, my energy level, all of it. Without winter, spring and summer wouldn’t be what they are. There are seasons in our lives too. And we often have difficulties in unde...

  • Sermonette for Jan. 21, 2019

    Rev. Mindy Meier, First Congregation Church|Jan 21, 2019

    ALERT! Quarantine mode: separate toothbrushes, separate blankets, Lysol doorknobs and light switches every morning, noon and before bed. Gatorade...check, BRAT diet...check. Constant laundry. “Don’t go near him! In fact, don’t even look at him.” Batten down the hatches. Please God, don’t let me catch this. See, not only do we have the stomach virus, we’re also on vacation. It’s 65 degrees outside. There’s a heated pool out there. And palm trees. Heck, I may even enjoy some exercise in this weather. Maybe. But instead, I’m fixated on a youn...

  • Sermonette for January 14, 2019

    Rev. Mindy Meier, First Congregational Church|Jan 14, 2019

    I need to exercise more. No doubt. I know this. Our town (and the internet!) has resources to help me carve out time for exercise. Exercise lengthens lives, and increases quality of life. It helps our brains and our mental health. So why don’t I do it? Maybe, for you, it’s not exercise. Maybe you’re good at exercise. But you have something. You have something you wish was better in your life. You have something you know would be good for you, but you still don’t do enough. Prayer and/or meditation? Morning devotions? Don’t floss enough? D...

  • Sermonette for Jan. 7, 2019

    Rev. Mindy Meier, First Congregational Church|Jan 7, 2019

    And all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. Luke 2:18 Among the people (and animals) in the Nativity, shepherds may be the most surprising. In first century Palestine, shepherds were weird. They stunk of barn animals, they worked from sunup to sundown, always on call if a sheep should get separated from the pack. They were not Jewish insiders. But an angel of the Lord appeared to them. There aren’t many people who’ve had an angel show up, this clearly, and this well-documented. Zechariah, Mary, Joseph, yes. And to the...

  • Sermonette for January 29, 2018

    Rev. Mindy Meier|Jan 29, 2018

    During Jesus’ ministry, the world was not a fun place to live. The Roman government occupied the nation, Herod was an ignorant, evil king, and Pontius Pilate wasn’t the thoughtful leader they so longed for. The first disciples were fishermen, working day and night, hard labor, to barely scrape by. Jesus passes by them, and says, “Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.” They drop their nets and follow. It all seems sort of easy, but we know differently. The disciples had no charmed existence, and the person they followed ended up bein...