Pastor Piano Man Dave

At times such as these, in the wake of new disaster, it is a natural response to ask the question: where is God in all this?

On the heels of the earthquake in Haiti we’ve heard commentary that this event was put into motion by God as some sort of punishment; it’s a response heard in the midst of other large-scale tragedies too. Do I agree? Not in the least. So where is God?

Galatians 6:2 says, “Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ,” and that’s just where God is. It is the body of Christ, as Paul so often described it, working together for the common good; living out love of God and love of neighbor. God is in… Continue reading

Tickets are now on sale for The Spirit of Christmas Concert 2009,
featuring Pastor Piano Man Dave and Penni from Heaven.
Concert to benefit children in foster care being served by CASA for Kids.

The Flathead Valley in Montana has seen an alarming increase in the number of children removed from their homes due to allegations of abuse and/or neglect.  These children will be the beneficiaries of The Spirit of Christmas Concert scheduled to start at 6:30 pm on Saturday, December 12 in the Performance Hall at Glacier High School in Kalispell.

The Spirit of Christmas Concert is an annual event spear-headed by Pastor David Merkel and Penni Chisholm with the goals of nurturing the Spirit of Christmas, building awareness of abused children in our community, and… Continue reading

When listening to and experiencing music, which speaks to you the most: is it the lyrics, or is it the music itself? I don’t believe this is a categorical ‘one way or the other’, black or white answer.

When I speak to others about music and the topic of “the message of the music” comes up what I most often hear from others is this: it is the words of a song that speak to them, and the melody or music is a vehicle upon which those words are carried.

I don’t usually agree. That is not to say I don’t hear the message of the words, I

Spiritual leadership is leadership content to ponder, to listen, to wait, to resist the temptation to know, assert, and assuage every human anxiety and desire for certainty.

- Daniel Wolpert Leading a Life with God: The Practice of Spiritual Leadership… Continue reading

A few weeks back (May 10) I gave a sermon on Jesus’ metaphorical teaching from John; “I am the vine, you are the branches” (John 15:5a). The discussion centered on our role as the branches; we are the conduits through which God’s grace and blessings bear fruit in the world. We do not create the fruit, we bear the fruit. God needs all of us to be the branches through which his sustenance feeds and nurtures the fruit that is needed in this world.

As the end of May approached I began taking notice of all the apple trees blooming in their annual ritual of beauty, preparing to bear apples. The apple