The High Mission of Art

This brief sermon was delivered by Bob Kalk during a music service at Bell Church in Leicester, North Carolina on July 6, 2014. The guest pianist is Gerald Ball from nearby Mars Hill University. Bell Church was organized immediately after the civil war in 1866. At that time, the circuits in and about the Blue … Read more

Time to Change Direction?

When you simply don’t have the drive or if you feel you’re on a dead end road, it just may be time for a change. One of the best ways to get motivated is to understand our innermost desires. Some call it taking pride in a job well done. Others think of it as perfection … Read more

Freedom that Makes the Church Grow

“They prefer a life caged in their precepts, in their compromises, in their revolutionary plans or in their [disembodied] spirituality.” So said Pope Francis in his remarks following the readings last Friday, he focused on the day’s Gospel, drawn from that according to St Matthew (11:16-19). There, Jesus compares the generation of his time to … Read more

Revitalizing an Addled Christianity

The teachings of Jesus, even though greatly modified, survived the mystery cults of their birthtime, the ignorance and superstition of the dark ages, and are even now slowly triumphing over the materialism, mechanism, and secularism of the twentieth century. And such times of great testing and threatened defeat are always times of great revelation. Religion … Read more

Get to Know Your Neighbors

A new book that tells a story set in war-torn Iraq sends a straightforward message applicable to everyday Americans: Get to know your neighbors. Greg Barrett, who worked in The Charlotte Observer’s Rock Hill bureau in the early 1990s, recently spoke at Covenant Presbyterian Church, where he told the story of his book “The Gospel … Read more

Ranking the Colleges Producing the Most Peace Corps Volunteers

For the past decade, the Peace Corps has released an annual ranking of the top large, medium and small schools that graduate students who then serve overseas for a little more than two years. The organization, an independent U.S. government agency that has been around for more than 50 years, has more than 8,000 volunteers … Read more

Egg Free Egg Nog

Egg Free Egg Nog Recipe Type: Christmas Cuisine: Ascension Author: Ascension Cafe Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 15 mins Total time: 30 mins Serves: 6 This healthy choice features the taste of egg nog without the casein or other animal protein. Show you care by helping your guests have a merry, cholesterol free, Christmas! … Read more