The Columbia Union Conference coordinates the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s work in the Mid-Atlantic United States, where 150,000 members worship in 860 congregations. We provide administrative support to eight conferences; two healthcare networks; 81 early childhood, elementary and secondary schools; a liberal arts university; a health sciences college; a 49 community services centers; 8 camps; 5 book and health food stores and a radio station.
God is love, power, and splendor—and God is a mystery. His ways are far beyond us, but He still reaches out to us. God is infinite yet intimate, three yet one,
all-knowing yet all-forgiving.
Story by V. Michelle Bernard
At the Columbia Union Conference Constituency Meeting in May 2016, union leadership and conference presidents made a commitment to continue the strong focus on evangelism in the new quinquennium, starting with an initiative themed “Share the Light, Share the Hope.” Here are some highlights to date:
To order extra copies of the Columbia Union Calendar 2017, email Shirley Rowley at srowley@columbiaunion.net.Submitted by vmbernard on Thu, 12/15/2016 - 1:19pm
Story by Cristina Macena
Meadow View Junior Academy (MVJA) in Chesterfield recently celebrated its 50th anniversary. Pastor Art Randall, former pastor of the Robbinsville church, one of the churches that supported MVJA through the years, delivered a powerful sermon to an audience of nearly 300 people.
Editorial by Rick Remmers
The Advent celebration is synonymous with lights. They decorate our neighborhoods, malls, trees and homes. When we look in the gospel accounts of the first advent of Jesus, we find the angels appearing to the shepherds with a brilliant light. Their presence or message could not be missed—Christ had come.
Then there was the star from the east leading wise men to the humble dwelling to see Jesus. The light of the star provided a guide for those who were willing to find the One who would light the world.
Blog by Rob Vandeman
We love to read the Psalms and rightly so. While Psalms may be the most popular book of the Bible, the Psalms are often the most misunderstood and misinterpreted. Many of us choose a few favorites and ignore others that strike us as bizarre or even cruel. Yet all the psalms were written for our benefit. To understand and appreciate the whole collection, we need solid principles of interpretation that will guide us to a proper reading and application of this riveting part of God’s Word.
There are several principles that we should keep in mind as we read the psalms. Not only will they help us understand God’s message in the psalms, but the principles will also allow us to see them in all their richness. As we meditate on the psalms we think, feel, imagine and choose in increasingly godly ways.
In order to illustrate each of these principles, we will apply them to Psalm 131:
A song for the ascent to Jerusalem A psalm of David
1. My heart is not proud, O Lord,
my eyes are not haughty;
I do not concern myself with great matters
or things too wonderful for me.
2. But I have stilled and quieted my soul;
like a weaned child with its mother,
like a weaned child is my soul within me.