Articles by Mike Mazzalongo

The story is told of three junior devils coming before Satan as they prepared to visit earth in order to destroy men’s souls. The first one said that he’d try to trick men by telling that there is “no heaven”. Satan replied that people have a natural hope and that this lie would not work very well.The next one stepped up and said that he would try to convince people that there is “no hell”. The de...

The tornado missed my house by several miles. Storm chasers described its wicked course while reporters chronicled the  destruction and death in real-time images that mesmerized viewers huddled around their T.V.’s, unable to look away. A familiar spring ritual in Oklahoma.Politicians made speeches and promises while first responders scrambled to organize a rescue of those trapped in the debri...

In Exodus 21:2 we read the instructions that God gave the Israelites concerning the treatment of slaves. Although the Jews were involved in the universal practice of slavery at the time, the treatment of their slaves was governed by God’s restrictions and laws— a code that usually encouraged fair treatment and eventual liberation.The point to note here is that every area of the...

Christians never quit God in a single day. Oh, some give up the faith suddenly at times because of a great tragedy in their lives but these are the exceptions. No, the way that most Christians lose their faith is through "drifting".Drifting is a slow removal of ourselves from the influence of God and His people. It is slow because drifting away from God does not usually set off...

I hated the Toronto Maple Leafs. Back in the fifties and sixties they were the arch rivals of the Montreal Canadiens when hockey in Canada only had six teams. My dislike of the Leafs stemmed less from hometown prejudice than their style of play. You see, Toronto was notorious for “sitting on the puck.” In hockey language of the day, this term described a team that would immedia...

Last minute Christmas sales and talk of the “fiscal cliff” were brutally replaced by headlines reporting that twenty children and six adults were murdered in a Connecticut elementary school last week. The President wept as he noted that, “We have been through this too many times…” and editorialists recharged their arguments for or against gun control.There was the anguished search for re...

There’s a “For Rent” sign in front of a house near my home. It’s for rent because the young mother who lived there with her husband and two young children com- mitted suicide recently. Her family has moved out and put the house up for rent. I think of her every time I drive by on my way to and from work and see that sad little sign. Here I am not one hundred yards from her front door, a two minute...

You know you’re a senior when the kid at the box office doesn’t want to see proof of age when you ask for the senior discount at the movies.  This scene along with the other signs of age have gotten me thinking about the future and what I want and don’t want as I go from being a senior to just being old.1. I Don’t Want Fake IndependenceI do not want to force my children to main...

A recurring theme in all “Preacher Jokes” is the idea that they exaggerate the numbers that attend services. I know one minister of a 250 member church who routinely answers the common question, “How big is your congregation?”, with the answer, “Somewhere under 3,000 members…” Some may dismiss this interest in numbers as irrelevant when it comes to spiritual matters but a quick look at the record ...

The recent trend in education and politics to remove any mention of God or the Bi-ble is really a subtle attack on individual rights and freedoms. Eliminating faith from public life weakens the nation’s understanding that man’s individual rights and free-doms are created and given by God, not the “State”. I believe that the endgame of removing the Bible from education and politics is to return us ...

Watching people die is always a growth experience. I don’t say this lightly because the trauma for family and friends is real and painful. But if you’re in the medical profession or serve as a hospice worker or minister, the constant passing of people from this life to the next occurs repeatedly in your everyday work and serves more to teach than frighten or depress. It seems the more I help peopl...

In several weeks we will be celebrating the graduation of our high school & college seniors. As a congregation we are proud of their achievement and share their joy in reaching this important milestone.As in every success story, there are usually many individuals who have contributed to the final outcome and graduation is no exception. One person that probably figures most in these young persons’ ...

Senior “moments” usually refer to bouts of forgetfulness that seem to overtake all of us as we grow older. However, these moments can also refer to insights and lessons that come if you have been around for a while. I will be 65 in a few weeks and have had my own moments when the brain synapses were not all firing but along with these were a few moments of clarity about life that only age can reve...

As a preacher I’ve long ago discovered that home is where you’re preaching at the moment. My wife and I often talk about the disconnect we feel because of a ministry that leads us to move an average of every seven years or so.In my prayers I’ve asked God to help me feel “at home” wherever I happen to be working and He’s accommodated me in a peculiar way. I always feel the same familiar comfort whe...

I am always amazed at how Biblical concepts are mangled when expressed in popular books by well-meaning authors. Such is the case with the newest edition stirring up debate entitled, “The Surrendered Wife.”The premise is simple: Modern wives need to acquiesce to their husbands in order to build their self-esteem, create marital harmony, and restore respect to the role of the husband in the family....

Quarterback Tim Tebow’s public display of faith has ignited a debate over the role that religion plays in sports. Does God care about who wins or loses? Can prayer alter the results of a sporting event? Will the most spiritually minded team win Super Bowl XLVI? In all fairness to Mr. Tebow, he has said that he prays not for victory but for direction in life and the ability to make g...

Christmas is a busy time and the last thing we need is one more “job” to do.But that’s exactly what we’re asking of you with our “Brown Bag Christmas” appeal - to take the time to do one more thing (two if you count decorating the bag). But this extra chore will have important results if you bring your decorated bag full of groceries to church next Sunday, December 22nd (hey, that’s three things!)...

As you know, we are presently looking for a man to serve the Canyon View congregation as Youth and Family Minister. Although many will, in the weeks to come, call about the position, few will actually be interviewed and only one will be chosen.The reason for the slowness of the process is that not many applicants can demonstrate the qualifications that we desire for this position. In order to help...

This is my 50th Christmas without my father. I thought of him recently while I browned some meatballs for  a spaghetti sauce we were cooking up for guests over the holidays. This was his recipe. One handed down from his father and passed on to me by my mother years after he passed away.  The pungent smell of the garlic and Romano cheese filled the kitchen and flashed back ...

 I believe Martha's gotten a bad rap as far as Bible characters go. The most quoted reference about Martha is where Jesus gently admonishes her concerning this good woman's frustration at not receiving help from her sister, Mary, in serving their guests. This story recorded in Luke 10:40-41 has become, for many, the defining image of this woman, a worrier, a person consumed with tasks, and a ...