Author: Paul Simrell

The Reverend Paul W. Simrell has served for over thirty years in a variety of congregational and institutional settings. He is a recognized minister with standing in the Virginia region of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada and is nationally endorsed by the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) for specialized ministry in both pastoral counseling and chaplaincy. Ordained in 1982, he has served congregations in Kentucky, Texas, Florida, and Virginia. He currently serves as the pastor of Elpis Christian Church, a small, historic congregation located just a few miles west of Richmond, Virginia. Elpis is the Greek word meaning “expectant hope.” He also serves on the associate clinical staff of the Virginia Institute of Pastoral Care, Richmond, Virginia, both as a pastoral counselor and a ministerial assessment specialist, specializing in executive, clergy and relationship coaching. He is a graduate of the University of Florida and Lexington Theological Seminary and has done advanced clinical training in chaplaincy and pastoral counseling at the University of Kentucky Medical Center in Lexington, Kentucky, Children’s Medical Center and Parkland Hospital in Dallas, Texas and the Virginia Institute of Pastoral Care in Richmond, Virginia. He is a Certified Pastoral Counselor, an ACPE Practitioner, and a member of the American Association of Christian Counselors. He is a Certified Facilitator of the Prepare-Enrich relationship assessment and skills-building program and served as a volunteer chaplain for over twenty years with the CJW Medical Center campuses in Richmond, Virginia. His avocational interests include playing the piano and drawing. He is very happily married to his wife Elizabeth Yeamans Simrell, a free-lance writer, who is also a Certified Facilitator for the Prepare-Enrich program.

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton

Casting Our Garments Away

In Mark’s account of the healing of Blind Bartamaeus (Mark 10:46-52) we have the same request we talked about yesterday: “Lord, I want to receive my sight.”  Lord, open our eyes. There is a detail of the story that has always struck me. It is the part about the blind man “casting away his garment”… Continue reading Casting Our Garments Away

Lord, Open Our Eyes

Matthew 20:29-34 29 As Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him. 30 Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” 31 The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the… Continue reading Lord, Open Our Eyes

Jesus, We Have a Small Request

Mark 10:35-45 New International Version (NIV) The Request of James and John 35 Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.” 36 “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked. 37 They replied, “Let one of us sit at your right… Continue reading Jesus, We Have a Small Request

And So It Begins….

We have been looking at the material that is unique to the Gospel of Luke, in the section leading up to Jesus and his followers final entry into Jerusalem.  And so it begins… We hear of how the Son of Man will be delivered unto death on a cross We hear the disciples insist they… Continue reading And So It Begins….

The Kingdom Within and Without

Scripture text: Luke 17:20-37 20 Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, 21 nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is in your midst.”[a] 22 Then he said to his… Continue reading The Kingdom Within and Without

Forgiveness and Faith

For a couple of weeks our church is exploring the topic of forgiveness. It’s interesting that, as it turns out, today’s scripture passage selection is on the same subject.  (See Luke 17:1-6) First, Jesus spoke of how we are called to forgive others who offend us – even up to 7 times in one day… Continue reading Forgiveness and Faith

The Great Gulf

If you ask me, it is one of the most disturbing stories Jesus ever told.  (You find it in the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 16:19-31.) It tells of a rich man who, during his earthly life, was greedy and unhelpful to a poor man named Lazarus who simply wanted a few crumbs from the rich… Continue reading The Great Gulf

You Cannot Serve God and Money

There are times when we might hope Jesus wasn’t quite as clear as he is. After telling a rather strange parable about an unjust steward, Jesus comes right to the point. “You cannot serve God and money.” Period. What – no qualifications?  No conditions?  No legal loopholes? Nope. You have to choose.  You can be… Continue reading You Cannot Serve God and Money

Coming Home

It is one of the most well-known stories in the Bible.  It’s about a young man, demanding his inheritance, squandering it, then, with tail tucked between his legs, making his way home – not as a son – but as a servant.  Humiliating. But the loving Father would have none of it. Even though the… Continue reading Coming Home