Fairplain Presbyterian Church

David Schell

  • Erasing Uncomfortable History

    The Bible tells stories that make people uncomfortable because they portray “heroes of the faith” like King David in a bad light. Like many other pastors, I usually preach from the Revised Common Lectionary, a three-year list of scriptures that forces preachers to visit passages we might otherwise ignore, so we’re not just preaching our…

  • Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt

    Almost 50 years ago, the term FUD (short for Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt) was coined. IBM used FUD to convince technology buyers to use their products rather than those of other tech companies because, “Well, you know and trust IBM, right? You haven’t heard of this other company before.” They wanted customers to be uncertain…

  • Hey, God.

    Jesus said when you pray, say “Our Father,” but I haven’t done that much in the past few years, except during “The Lord’s Prayer” in church. When Jesus taught his disciples to pray “Our Father,” it was a term of intimacy, inviting them to view God as a parent, someone who cares about them and…

  • Looking Back on the Year That Was With Gratitude

    Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Living God has risen upon you. (Isaiah 60:1) Dear friends, We are moving once again to the beginning of a new year. I wrote last year about the practice of looking back on the year that was with an irritation and relief, and…

  • Someone Else’s Side of the Story

    Have you ever heard a story so fascinating that you wanted to hear it again but from someone else’s perspective?

  • I Asked for Wonder

    The music and movies they’re making these days just aren’t as good as the ones they used to make, are they? …Or are they?

  • The Middle of the Story

    I went to film school before I went to seminary. In film school, I learned about the “Hero’s Journey,” a framework for talking about stories, popularized by Joseph Campbell. The “Journey” starts with the call to adventure, followed by the rejection of the call, and so on. While I was watching a movie last week,…

  • “Nobody Wants to Go to Church Anymore”

    “Nobody Wants to Go to Church Anymore”

    This fear isn’t new, though. As long as there has been a church, faithful Christians worried that the next generation didn’t take the faith seriously.

  • Our Common Life Depends Upon Each Other’s Toil

    We have holidays for all sorts of things, but I think Labor Day may be the only American holiday that draws attention to and honors “each other’s toil…”

  • Ask God for Good Things

    Last night after dinner, Ryan asked me, “Is it night time yet?” I said, “Why do you ask?” He said, “You said we could have lollies at night time.” “Lollies” are Ryan and Micah’s name for “Bomb Pops.” I grinned and opened the freezer door. “Yes, it’s night time.”