Rev. David Community & Healthcare Chaplain

08/28/2026

God called me to serve his people. You are one of them.

08/23/2026

08/18/2026

The Bookmobile is coming TOMORROW!

08/09/2026

08/08/2026

Devotional:
Rest for the Weary Soul

Text:
Matthew 11:28–30 (NKJV)
“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me... For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Jesus doesn't call the strong to Himself first—He calls the tired.
"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden."
Not the ones who have it together, but the ones who are worn down: by grief, by illness, by the weight of caring for others, by the sheer effort of getting through another day.
If you've sat with someone who is in need, or carried the burdens of your job, cared for your loved ones, or simply run out of strength to keep pushing—this word is for you.

Notice what Jesus doesn't say. He doesn't say "figure it out" or "try harder."
He says, "Come to Me... and I will give you rest."
Rest is a gift He gives, not a reward we earn.

But He doesn't stop at rest—He invites us into a yoke.
That might seem strange; a yoke is a tool of labor, not leisure.
Yet a yoke joins two together, and the picture here is of walking alongside Christ Himself, who bears the greater weight while we learn His pace, His gentleness, His way of carrying what's heavy.
The burden doesn't vanish—it becomes shared, and shared with One who is "gentle and lowly in heart."
That's why it becomes light. Not because it's small, but because we're no longer carrying it alone.

For anyone walking through exhaustion—physical, spiritual, or the quiet weariness of caregiving—this is an invitation to stop straining and instead lean into a relationship, one step at a time, at His pace.

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Prayer

Lord Jesus,

You see the weight we carry—the burdens too heavy to name and the ones we've grown almost used to carrying alone. You call us not to prove ourselves, but simply to come.

So we come.
Take what is heavy in us today. Teach us Your yoke, Your gentleness, Your way of walking through hard things without being crushed by them.
Where we have tried to labor under our own strength, forgive us, and grant us the grace to lean on You instead.

Give rest to the weary in this place—the sick, the grieving, the caregivers, and all who feel the weight of another day.
Let them know they are not carrying it alone.

We ask this in Your name, who is gentle and lowly in heart, and whose burden is light. Amen.

08/07/2026

Daily Chaplain Blessing ✝ — Service

📖 “Through love serve one another.”
— Galatians 5:13 (NKJV)

Sometimes the greatest difference we make begins with something small.

A kind word.
A listening ear.
A meal shared.
A hand extended.
A few moments spent with someone who feels forgotten.

God's faithfulness toward us teaches us to be faithful in caring for one another.
We may never know how deeply a simple act of compassion touches someone's life.

Today, look for the person God places along your path.
You don't have to solve every problem or have all the right words.
Sometimes simply being present is enough.

May God give you eyes to notice those who need encouragement, a heart willing to care, and opportunities to share His love through simple acts of kindness.

Wherever you go today, may someone experience a little more hope because you were there.

Blessings on your journey today.

✝ Rev. David Stenske
Community & Healthcare Chaplain
Presence. Prayer. Peace.

08/04/2026

As a Chaplain ✝

I have learned that one of the greatest gifts you can give another person is simply your presence.

Not every problem can be solved.
Not every illness can be cured.
Not every question has an answer.

But no one should have to face life's hardest moments alone.

Sometimes I sit in silence beside a hospital bed.
Sometimes I listen to stories that have never been told before.
Sometimes I pray.
Sometimes I simply hold a hand.

People rarely remember every word that was spoken, but they often remember who stayed.

If someone you know is carrying a heavy burden today, don't underestimate the power of showing up.

Your presence may become the answer to a prayer they never spoke aloud.

📖 "Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." — Galatians 6:2 (NKJV)

✝ Rev. David Stenske
Chaplain
Presence. Prayer. Peace.

08/03/2026

Tuesday nights are for the Southside Summer Pop-Up Market! 🌞 Join us this week at Knox Field for local vendors, community, and added fun: 🎶 Music by Jane Kaski 🍔 Food by Suvelles and Who-Deanies Weenies. Come shop, grab something to eat, enjoy the music, and spend the evening on the Southside. Vendor lineups may change week to week — we’ll see you Tuesday!