Andrew and An

On May 24, 2026May 24, 2026 By Tim ValentinoIn General2 Comments

On Saturday, May 23, 2026, I had the honor of giving the “Pastoral Message to the Bride and Groom” at my son’s wedding on a Scripture passage of the their choosing. They chose 1 Corinthians 13. Their “Lord of the Rings” themed wedding and reception were as unique as they are.

Andrew and An, your big day is finally here, and there’s nowhere that we as your family and friends would rather be than right here celebrating it with you. An, you are a stunning bride. I think we all gasped when you entered the sanctuary today. You’re a beautiful woman—inside and out. Sonya and I are so thrilled to have you become part of our family today. Our desire is to be your cheerleader and friend as long as God gives us life and breath.

We’ve been praying for this day for a long time. In fact, when it was clear we needed to get Sonya to the hospital years ago, we first stopped by the empty crib and prayed not only for our new child, but also for the future spouse—whoever that might be. And here you stand today as the answer to that prayer, and many others we prayed over the years. God is good—amen?

Andrew, you clean up pretty well, too. You’re a different kind of stunning—but stunning, nonetheless. And you’re still my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. Your mother and I couldn’t be prouder of who you are and who you’re becoming.

And I know that Phil and Lien have been praying for you for a long time, too, long before they knew who you were. They’re thrilled that you’re becoming part of their family today, too. And here you stand today as the answer to their prayers for An.

So, Sonya and I prayed for you, and Phil and Lien prayed for you, and, we leave it to you wise discernment to figure out which of us has the better prayer life.

Actually, it’s not about us at all. It’s about God and his goodness to two people he dearly loves. And one of the best definitions we have of love is found in 1 Corinthians 13, Paul’s masterpiece that you asked me to comment on today. It’s often read at weddings, which is interesting because the context of the passage is not really about marriage at all.

It’s about a church family that wasn’t getting along very well, and they needed to be reminded of what love looks like when relationships become difficult. Well, sometimes the relationship between a husband and wife can become difficult, too. And so, this passage does have application when it comes to marriage. In fact, in a broken world like ours, all relationships will struggle at times, so really, this is a message for all of us today—whether we’re married or not.

Paul begins by saying, “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. In other words: Without love, it doesn’t matter what we SAY. “Talk is cheap,” says Paul, “if it’s not backed up by action.” Now, certainly, the words we say to each other are important, but words without love just make us sound like a one-piece band, and that one piece is only a cymbal. It’s hard to make good music with just a crash and a clang. Without love, it doesn’t matter what we say.

Paul goes on, “If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.” In other words: Without love, it doesn’t matter what we KNOW. The cliché is true: people don’t care how much we know until they know how much we care. And without this kind of caring love, says Paul, we are nothing. All our education and degrees and intellectual gifts mean nothing when love is missing. Without love, it doesn’t matter what we know

Paul continues: “If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.” In other words: Without love, it doesn’t matter what we DO. Imagine that! Paul says we can give away all we possess to the poor and needy, and even die as a martyr, but if we didn’t do it in love for the other person, we get nothing. And right there, Paul deals a death blow to the kind of fanaticism that would take up arms against other people, or be hostile toward them, in the name of God. “No!” says Paul. Without love, it doesn’t matter what we do.

It’s an amazing claim, and it applies to marriage because spouses can sometimes get crossways with each other. They sometimes don’t see eye-to-eye. That won’t ever happen with you two, but just in case it does, we should probably talk about these things.

Paul then turns to a positive definition of love. The Greek word—as you well know—is agape, which is God’s kind of love. Paul writes: “Agape love is patient, and kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.”

Those are lofty words. And very challenging. They’re words that tell us love is not just a warm, fuzzy feeling; it’s a firm, fixed commitment. It’s not so much a state of being (“I’m in love”); it’s a verb (“I will love”), and it requires much effort. When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that may be amore, but it’s not agape. Amore love says, “I will love you if.” Agape love says, “I will love you even if.”

In fact, Paul is saying here that the circumstances that bring out the reality of true love in a relationship are not always easy circumstances, but hard ones! For example:

It’s when you see your spouse’s weaknesses and irritating qualities emerge that true love is patient and kind.

It’s when the limelight falls on your spouse instead of you that true love does not envy.

It’s after your wise counsel is rejected by your spouse, maybe even with serious consequence, that true love does not boast.

It’s when spousal apologies need to be made that true love is not proud.

It’s in the heat of a spousal disagreement that true love is not rude.

It’s in a time of family needs or crises when true love is not self-seeking.

It’s in the time of disappointment with each other that true love is not easily angered.

It’s in the time of personal offense that true love keeps no record of wrongs.

It’s in the midst of job frustration, low bank accounts, bad cooking, leaky roofs, screaming babies, changing body types, aging skin, and seasons of change that agape love never fails.

Shakespeare said it well:

Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove.
O no, it is an ever-fixèd mark
That looks on tempests and is never shaken;
It is the star to every wand’ring bark
Whose worth’s unknown, although his height be taken.

A lofty sentiment—and a very challenging one to live out. Every married couple will tell you that agape love is hard work. But they will also tell you, it can be done. And it can be done well—with much joy and great delight over the years. And since love is God’s idea—and who God is—he will help you when you look to him.

And when you do look to him for help with agape love, what will you find? You’ll find Jesus—who gave us the greatest love story the world has ever known. Even greater than Aragorn and Arwen in Lord of the Rings. We know you’re both fans of that epic fantasy. Arwen gives up her Elvish immortality to be with Aragorn, choosing to “share one lifetime” with him rather than facing the ages of the world without him.

We know where Tolkien got that idea, don’t we? “Greater love has no one than this,” said Jesus, “that he lay down his life for another.” On the cross, Jesus sacrificed himself for us. That’s agape. He went to Mount Doom for us, dying as us and fir us—taking our death to himself, and then rising again on the third day. In doing so, he gave believers eternal life with him forever, and abundant life with him now. He showed us what agape love truly looks like.

“God is love,” said the Apostle John. “Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.” When we live in love, we experience God—and in the process, we show the world what Jesus Christ is really like.

Without love, it doesn’t matter what we say.
Without love, it doesn’t matter what we know.
Without love, it doesn’t matter what we do.

But with love, we will joyfully go the distance with each other. You will joyfully go the distance with each other. And so, in the hauntingly beautiful words of Enya from Lord of the Rings:

May it be when darkness falls
Your heart will be true…
May it be, the shadow’s call will fly away
May it be, you journey on to light the day
When the night is overcome
You may rise to find the sun.

And in the end, we pray that Jesus Christ himself will be the Lord of your rings that you exchange this day—your big day that we get to share with you. God bless you both—now and always. We love you.

Amen.

After the pastoral message, Sonya sang “How Beautiful” by Twila Paris, a song that goes way back but nicely captures the deep affection Jesus has for his bride, the church. And if Drew’s look at An during the ceremony is an indication, Jesus really loves his bride.

Capturing the Moment

On May 22, 2026 By Tim ValentinoIn General2 Comments

Bethany tonight honored her brother and (soon-to-be) sister-in-law with a wonderful speech at the rehearsal dinner. She did it with a nice blend of fun memories, real-life insights, and heartfelt encouragement. I think she did a marvelous job “capturing the moment.”

Hello everyone. If you don’t know me, my name is Bethany, and I have the pleasure of being Andrew’s sister. I’m so thankful to be standing here tonight for this very special moment that we’ve waited for for a long … long … long … long time.

If you know Andrew, you know his creative passion for filmmaking. Because Andrew discovered this passion at a fairly young age, he has been able to do something really special for his friends and family over the years, and that is he’s been able to capture the moment.

Andrew has done such a great job capturing all the wonderful moments in our lives, so tonight I would like to help capture the moment we are in right now. The eve of the day we get to watch these dearly loved people get married and begin their journey through God’s greatest blessing of marriage.

Now, not all of our moments have been captured on camera, so tonight I want to help capture the moment by sharing some moments that weren’t. As you can imagine, growing up with Andrew was certainly an adventure. And if you didn’t know, before Andrew dated An, he never had a girlfriend.

And we have this theory in our family as to why Andrew never had a girlfriend. For most of his adolescence, Andrew really was not boyfriend material. He just wasn’t. And that’s because Andrew has always been husband material.

So, for example, Andrew might not have been great boyfriend material because as a child he was a little…aloof. The kind of aloof that gets you caught in a situation with a police costume he used to have. Somehow while playing with said police costume, Andrew got his ankles handcuffed together … and he had lost the key. All while only wearing … only underwear.

I have this image burned into by brain of Andrew’s feet handcuffed together, him wearing my dad’s t-shirt, while we scoured the front yard looking for the missing key to his handcuffs. I honestly can’t even remember how we got him out of those things. So maybe Andrew wasn’t quite boyfriend material since he was slightly aloof. But he definitely is husband material.

Also in our childhood, I had a season of time that I had bad nightmares. Andrew, in his great creativity and compassion, designed an intricate “bad dream catcher” for my room, made out of strings and laundry baskets and all sorts of things. He had a very detailed explanation for how this bad dream catcher worked and would help get rid of my bad dreams.

Yes, Andrew is husband material because he will always find a way to help you, An. He will come up with a solution to help and protect you in your fears and always wish you sweet dreams.

In our teenage years, Andrew still hadn’t become boyfriend material yet. Andrew had a really great group of guy friends in our youth group at church that he spent time with. My parents hosted an incredible amount of sleepovers in those years. Sometimes for Andrew and his friends to stay up all night drinking Mountain Dew and playing video games, and sometimes for me to have my friends to sleepover and stay up all night watching chick-flicks and talking about those boys in the youth group.

One night, the group of guys found out the girls were having a sleepover. As my girlfriends and I were in the basement watching a movie, Andrew thought it would be a great idea to mess with us. We had a walkout basement with a sliding glass door beneath out wooden deck above. So, Andrew and his friends proceeded to hang his paintball mask from the deck so we could see it through the glass door … and light it on fire. Andrew wasn’t boyfriend material yet because he was much more concerned with scaring the living daylights out of girls instead of impressing them.

However, that same teenage boy was also the boy that literally took someone who had nowhere to go. Andrew had a friend from school that had an incredibly tough home life and was no longer welcome in his home. Andrew invited that boy to live with us and walked through those years with him—all the way through graduation. Andrew is husband material because he is faithful and loyal and a real friend. He will be faithful and loyal to you, An, and he will be the best friend you could ask for.

By the time Andrew arrived at young adulthood, he still was not quite at boyfriend material. On one occasion, he tried to go to the Berkshire Mall in Reading. Somehow, he got lost along the way and wound up in Delaware. Still aloof.

However, once again he proved that he was definitely husband material. Like most college students, Andrew didn’t have a whole lot of money. But when a friend experienced some significant medical problems, Andrew emptied his bank account to pay their bills. Andrew will be a great husband to you, An, because he will give you everything he has without a second thought. He will love you sacrificially and wholly.

So, as we capture this moment now, I am thankful for where we are right here in this moment. Because today makes it all make sense—why Andrew wasn’t boyfriend material before. It’s because he hadn’t yet met An. Andrew wasn’t boyfriend material for anyone else. It was always supposed to be An. Because together, they truly are a perfect match.

And I know, like I’ve always known, that Andrew is going to be a wonderful husband to An because An is absolutely, positively, without a doubt, wife material. She is kind and patient and encouraging and sweet and thoughtful. Andrew will be a great husband because An is going to be a great wife, and, together, their marriage will certainly glorify the Lord.

So, if you can capture this moment in your mind, before your lives change forever tomorrow—in the best way possible, I want to say that this moment is capture-worthy. And I am so glad it’s here.

So, blessings to you, Andrew and An. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight” … and your marriage great.

‘I now pronounce you…’

On May 16, 2026May 16, 2026 By Tim ValentinoIn General4 Comments

Lord willing, one week from today I will get to say these wonderful words after giving a brief wedding homily for my beloved son in whom I am well pleased and his lovely bride:

“And now, Andrew and An, by the authority vested in me ~~by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and~~ as a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ, I now pronounce you husband and wife. What God has therefore joined together, let no one ever separate.” *

“Andrew, you may kiss your wife.”

💋

“Ladies and gentlemen, it gives me great please to introduce to you for the very first time: Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Valentino.”

At that moment, I will get a daughter-in-law, and then we’ll go celebrate with a marvelous reception filled with food, fun, and a few surprises.

Welcome to the family, An. You are God’s gift to all of us.

The countdown is on, and the excitement is growing.

* Since the state has defied God’s definition of marriage, I no longer refer to it in the pronouncement.

Making Mud, Making Memories

On May 9, 2026May 9, 2026 By Tim ValentinoIn GeneralLeave a comment

We took the boys to the Myerstown Park earlier this week for a picnic lunch. Afterward—did they want to go play on the swings? No. That’s always something they enjoy doing, but two other things piqued their interest more than the mulched and manicured playground set.

First, they had to explore the massive mud puddles by the pavilion. (It’s nearly an obsession with these two.) And second, they had to go play by the pond. There were fish, ducks, rocks, and sticks that needed their attention. And mud.

When Samuel and Levi got here last night for Pizza-Movie Night, they “helped” me with a project in the backyard. You guessed it—more mud. This time they created the puddle with my hose. I’m putting decorative rocks on either side of the path that connects our two patios—one off the side of the house and one off the primary bedroom. I finished one side so far, and I’m happy with how it turned out. Micah and Bethany got me ground solar lights for my birthday, and it inspired me to create a special strip to put them in.

During much of the time I was working, I was thinking about the recent death of a gal I graduated with from high school. Lung cancer is what took her in the end, though she never smoked. Tiff was pleasant and kind—a majorette in the marching band. She was sharp in math, too. We were seated next to each other in AP Calculus, and she aced nearly all her tests. She went on to become a civil engineer and then worked in Virginia for a defense contractor. It’s sobering to think the clock is ticking for all of us.

That’s why I’m drinking in every delicious moment with the boys, and I’m looking forward to Andrew’s wedding in two weeks. He and his fiancé asked me to do the wedding message and the pronouncement. That second request wasn’t very wise on their part. It means they’re not married until I say they’re married. 🙂

The boys are coming back tomorrow night for a little Mother’s Day celebration here at the house. I’m guessing somehow there will be more mud involved.

Only one life, twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

C. T. Studd

Micah to the Rescue

On April 27, 2026April 27, 2026 By Tim ValentinoIn General1 Comment

What do you do Saturday afternoon when you know your laryngitis isn’t going clear up by Sunday morning, and you have to teach Sunday school, run a worship service, and preach a sermon? You send out word to all your usual pulpit supply contacts for backup. But what if they all have prior commitments and can’t fill in, or don’t see your desperate communications in time?

That was the situation this past weekend as the countdown to Sunday morning grew shorter. I happened to mention the challenge to my daughter Bethany by text, and she said, “Maybe Micah could do it. He’s been working on a message.” Long story short, I took her up on the offer. Micah did a Maundy Thursday devotional at our church a few years ago, and it was very well done. I’ve also been in enough Bible studies with him to know how well he handles the Word.

So, my son-in-law Micah White preached his (first ever) sermon at Christ Community Church yesterday. It was wonderful. He also played the guitar in our Praise Team since our regular guitarist was on vacation. He just slipped right in there like he’s always been part of the team.

It seems like this multi-talented man is always saving my bacon, in more ways than one. While it may be true that I recently graduated from “mechanical idiot” to “mechanical novice,” I still need Micah’s help from time to time when it comes to assorted issues with my car, lawn tractor, electricity, etc.

He’s extremely well rounded, and he always helps out in a kind a gracious way, never making me feel ridiculous because I don’t know how to fix something. It’s truly amazing how many gifts God has given this young man. Maybe even more amazing is the fruit of the Spirit he so consistently display.

Micah’s sermon was titled, “Bad Gardener, Gracious God,” and it traced the major occurrences of garden imagery in Scripture, front to back. His approach was what we practitioners call “biblical theology,” and he did it extremely well. He asked for feedback early Sunday morning on his manuscript, and I didn’t have much to offer since he covered all the bases so well.

Best of all, Micah loves Jesus, takes care of my daughter, and is knocking it out of the park when it comes to the fathering the two most adorable munchkins on the planet, Samuel and Levi. How blessed we are to have Micah be part of the family.

Circle of Life

On April 18, 2026April 18, 2026 By Tim ValentinoIn GeneralLeave a comment

Here’s a random picture dump since Easter. The bright yellow daffs have come and gone. Then the flowering cherry tree popped and petered out. Then the multi-colored tulips erupted, only to begin their fade into eleven months of obscurity. But I just started planting the new garden because it’s that time of year again, and because hope springs eternal. It’s the circle of life, and it moves us all, right?

The ladies are all out of town at An’s bridal shower today, and Andrew is off to his bachelor party. I kept Samuel and Levi myself last night, and we all went out to breakfast together after last night’s wonderful pizza-movie night.

I got to see “A Great Awakening” two weeks ago, Sight & Sound’s second major film. It’s the story of Benjamin Franklin’s interaction with George Whitefield two centuries ago. I spotted Andrew twice and Sonya three times along the way. Living in the same house with two movie stars is dreadful, but the film is well worth seeing. 🙂 You know for sure that most of the people in the production are local when everybody sits there to watch the credits.

Speaking of Sight & Sound, I got to see Joshua this past Thursday. That production is also worth seeing. The walls of Jericho came down, and Christ was lifted up. Several lines and moments got me right in the feels. Afterward, we got another back-stage tour, and we got to see some new areas this time. It’s like a small city back there.

Last but not least, Enya’s “Fallen Embers” is routinely said to be one of her fans’ most underrated pieces. I think the fans may be right. Happy weekend.

“I Have Seen the Lord” (John 20:10-18)

On April 11, 2026April 11, 2026 By Tim ValentinoIn SermonsLeave a comment

The story of Mary Magdalene meeting Jesus at the empty tomb is found only in John’s Gospel. Everything about it corresponds to human nature as we know it. A weeping woman lingers by an empty tomb, wondering what has happened to the body of the one she loved. When Jesus appears on site, she doesn’t recognize that it’s him. After she does realize it’s the Lord, she grips his feet so tightly that he needs to tell her to let him go. The scene ends with the mourner becoming a missionary—running to tell others that she has seen Jesus alive.

In many ways, Mary represents all of us. The risen Christ cares about our pain. He’s present even in our darkest hour, and he doesn’t let our despair go unchallenged. The risen Christ also knows us personally. He calls us by name and always gives us what we need the most, including hope beyond the grave. Finally, the risen Christ redirects our priorities. He wants us to share him with others, not keep him to ourselves. He also cares more about grace than our status in the world.

It’s often been said that Mary Magdalene was last at the cross and first at the tomb. That’s a high honor that can’t be said about any of the men who followed Jesus. She was the first to see Jesus alive and the first to hear his voice, thus becoming an apostle to the apostles. A formerly demonized woman, Mary had been changed by Jesus. You can be, too. Indeed, the story of the risen Christ can change your story—forever.

Sermon Resources:

I Have Seen the Lord (Outline)Download

I Have Seen the Lord (PowerPoint)Download

His Only Son

On April 5, 2026April 4, 2026 By Tim ValentinoIn GeneralLeave a comment

Here’s how we opened our Easter service this morning at Christ Community Church in Myerstown, Pennsylvania. As has become our tradition, it’s a dark-to-light presentation that culminates in a choir processional of exuberant voices declaring the joy of Christ’s resurrection, with the congregation joining in on the last verse. This year’s presentation was called “His Only Son,” from Genesis 22 and the Gospels. Enjoy.

Click on the image to access the video:

His Only Son

An Original Production by
Christ Community Church

Written by
Tim Valentino

Narrated by
Ken Hunkins

Produced and Edited by
Tim Valentino

Artwork by
Maureen Logan

Choir Directors
Sonya Valentino
Shirley Long

Processional
Christ Community Church Easter Choir

Jen Danielson, Lisa Dreibelbis, Stacey Espenschied, Kaye Focht, Marcy Garman, Shawn Garman, Ginny Hauer, Ken Hunkins, Faye Hipkiss, Bonnie Hunkins, Carol Keller, Kirby Keller, Maureen Logan, Shirley Long, Claude Petrie, Jan Petrie, Dawn Sharp, Pat Shroff, Sonya Valentino, and Tim Valentino.

—

Music by

“Adagio for Strings,” String Quartet, Op. 11 by Samuel Barber, performed by the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Leonard Bernstein, Sony Music, 1971.

“Prelude” by Scott Brasher and J. A. C. Redford on Unveiled Hope by Michael Card, performed by the London Session Orchestra, featuring Hunter Lee, conducted by J. A. C. Redford, Myrrh, 1977.

“Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee,” lyrics by Henry Van Dyke, music by Ludwig van Beethoven, Ode to Joy: from Symphony No. 9, performed by the Grace Community Church Orchestra, Sun Valley, CA, 2024.

Video by

His Only Son, directed by David Helling, starring Nicolas Mouawad as Abraham, Sara Seyed as Sarah, Edaan Moskowitz as Isaac, and Dan da Silva as the Lord, Angel Studios, 2023.

Jesus of Nazareth, directed by Franco Zeffirelli, starring Robert Powell as Jesus, Olivia Hussey as Mary, Yorgo Voyagis as Joseph, and Michael York as John the Baptist, ITC Entertainment, 1977.

The Passion of the Christ, directed by Mel Gibson, starring Jim Caviezel as Jesus, Icon Productions/Newmarket Films, 2004.

Risen, directed by Kevin Reynolds, starring Joseph Fiennes as Clavius Aquila Valerius Niger, Antonio Gil as Joseph of Arimathea, and Victor Trapani as Nicodemus, Affirm Films/Columbia Pictures, 2016.

Licensed By

Christian Copyright Licensing International No. 21229380

Christian Video Licensing International No. 21-03851831

On Birthday Blessings and Old Testament Sacrifices

On March 31, 2026March 31, 2026 By Tim ValentinoIn General1 Comment

Another lap around the sun is almost complete, so it’s a good day to count my blessings. The boys came over this past Sunday night to help me celebrate, and they were so excited about the occasion that Levi blurted out what they had gotten me before I opened the gifts. Samuel was just dropping hints, so he’s starting to get how surprises are supposed to work. I guess that’s the difference between a 4-year-old and a 2-year-old. At one point, Sonya told Levi that he had cake on his face, and he said, “I don’t mind.” Too funny.

Every year their parents ask them, “What do you think Papa would like more than anything else in the whole world?” Samuel’s answer this year was a Lego wrecking ball. (Last year it was a Lego steamroller.) Levi’s answer was a pull-string racecar. Nothing could be more special to this birthday boy. Why? Lego contraptions are built together, and racecars that run under their own power are best played with two people. So, that’s what makes this little tradition so wonderful. We get to build things and play together, which is the best kind of celebration.

Believe it or not, the whole thing helps me understand the Old Testament sacrificial system a bit better, especially vis-à-vis the customs of the nations surrounding Israel. Unlike the foreign gods of the ancient Near East, Yahweh does not get hungry or need to be fed (Psalm 50:9-13). Rather, Israel is to “offer thank offerings to God” (Psalm 50:14). For him, it’s all about the relationship with his people. He knows the Israelites will want to give him gifts to express their love to him, so he lets them do so by way of the sacrificial system.

Same with this Papa. I don’t need another trinket in the house, but I absolutely treasure the time spent with my boys. I want to be near them. And—right now, anyway—they want to be near me. Even if I help pay for the gifts they give, as God likewise makes the creatures that get sacrificed back to him, I will enjoy the racecar and wrecking ball more that they will ever know. They even told me what kind of cake I wanted this year (white with white icing and sprinkles), and we were happy to oblige. They were genuinely wanting me to have a special time. And we did.

Other gifts this year included an English/Hebrew Torah, a 2-volume set of Greek New Testament manuscripts, 96 K-cups of Eight O’Clock Dark Italian Espresso, several other theology books, and a whole bunch of clothes and shoes for the upcoming wedding. (I undergrew my black suit, so I needed a new one.) And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. There were so many other cards and gifts, but it was time spent with family that made it all so special.

That and my flowering cherry tree, which fully blossomed today. It was like a little wink from heaven. Yes, I am indeed blessed.

“Humiliation & Exaltation” (Philippians 2:5-11)

On March 30, 2026March 30, 2026 By Tim ValentinoIn SermonsLeave a comment

People don’t usually look for ways to get demoted. They try to go up the ladder of success not down. But if the eternal Son of God had a birthday on that first Christmas, it was a voluntary choice for demotion. It was the ultimate pay cut. It was the ultimate story of riches to rags. And he did it willingly. The Creator willingly became part of his creation. The Master Artist willingly became part of his painting. The Eternal One willingly became part history and subject to time. The Apostle Paul’s Carmen Christi (“Hymn to Christ”) in Philippians 2:5-11 describes just how low he went. And then how high.

The song is a summary of his full journey—as represented by the Passion Sunday donkey (humiliation) and the Palm Sunday palms (exaltation). In fact, the Carmen Christi becomes the Carmen Patri (“Hymn to the Father”). But why? How does a hymn that is so radically focused on Jesus Christ end up being a hymn “to the glory of God the Father” (v. 11)? That’s the question we seek to answer in this sermon, one in which we learn that self-emptying love is what true godliness looks like. No wonder Jesus said on more than one occasion, “Those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted” (Matthew 23:12; Luke 14:11, 18:14).

Sermon Resources:

Humiliation & Exaltation (Outline)Download

Humiliation & Exaltation (PowerPoint)Download

The Week of All Weeks

On March 28, 2026March 28, 2026 By Tim ValentinoIn Bible & TheologyLeave a comment

Passion Week (or Holy Week) can be one of the most significant times in a believer’s worship year. During these days, we clear our calendars to focus exclusively on the events of Jesus’s suffering, death, and resurrection, which are at the heart of our Christian faith. Our attention during this special week is directed toward the person and work of Christ as:

the triumphant yet humble King of the universe who is Israel’s promised Messiah (Palm Sunday);

the servant of God and mediator of the new covenant (Maundy Thursday);

the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (Good Friday);

the Last Adam resting in a deep sleep to give birth to his bride, the church (Great Saturday) and

Christus Victor—the risen Savior of the human race (Easter Sunday).

Holy Week itself grew out of the simple observation that 28 of the 89 chapters in the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John)—32 percent—are devoted to the period of time between the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem and his ascension into heaven. Yet this period is less than one percent of Jesus’ entire three and a half years of public ministry.

In terms of literary style, then, such space allocation suggests that while the birth, life, teachings, and miracles of Jesus were important to the authors, it was the passion of Christ and his resurrection from the dead that were centrally important to their purpose in writing. It’s almost as if each of the four Gospels is a Passion Narrative with an extended introduction!

By way of analogy, modern writers and filmmakers often arrange for the action of their stories to slow down when they reach their most critical moments, using techniques such as freeze frame, slow motion, and extended coverage. The technique of slow motion is used, for example, in the important race scenes in the movie Chariots of Fire, where the director captures and accentuates each runner’s agonized expression before the finish line. The impact is significant.

The amount of application of such techniques in storytelling is proportional to the importance of any given scene to the larger work. It’s no exaggeration, then, to say that the Passion Narratives present to us the incomparable love of God in slow motion. Believers seek to revel in that love during Holy Week, changing up our routines and realigning our schedules to Gospel-centered considerations.

Our church doesn’t offer a Great Saturday observance yet, but we’re working on it. This year, Passion Week in our neck of the woods is as follows:

His Only Son, My Only Son

On March 23, 2026March 24, 2026 By Tim ValentinoIn General1 Comment

My son Andrew is getting married two months from today. It’s been a joy having him live with us for the past couple years as he was rebooting his life from photojournalism to tech support for Christian musical theater. Not only is he enjoying his career at Sight & Sound, but he met his fiancé there as well. He also appeared in their second film, A Great Awakening. So, it’s a time of much joy as we celebrate God’s goodness to him and prepare for the big day.

Since Drew will be leaving us soon, I decided to do this year’s Easter opening entirely myself. I’ve been far too dependent on him over the years for video generation and editing. So, I forced myself to learn three new apps for making soundtracks, storyboards, and video compilations. This year’s production is based on the Akedah, the Binding of Isaac in Genesis 22. It’s a heartrending story that leads to Jesus, and my well of tears has been thoroughly drained during the preparations. Drew said, “Now you know how hard it is to edit through tears.” Exactly right.

Let’s just say I have a newfound respect for my son’s skills in this area. He really has a gift. The last two weeks have been nonstop and intense. Part of the challenge has been learning the software and then using it for editing video clips and audio tracks—something I’ve never done until now. I can usually craft a story and conceive the look I am aiming for, but Drew has always been the one to bring it to life. This time I flew solo.

So, I was eager to get his feedback on my first project. He loved it! He said I have some good editing instincts and conveyed the message well. Were he to give me a grade, he said it would be about a 92-95. Not bad for the first try! Since he has a Film and Media Arts degree from Temple University, I really value his feedback. He gave me a few ideas for tightening up the final edit, and I’ll be doing those over the next few days. I’ll post the final version here after the Easter Sunday worship service.

He’s still my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. That’s one of the reasons it’s been such an emotional month. As I’ve pondered Genesis 22 for the Good Friday service and Easter Sunday opening, I’ve been wrecked afresh by the deep and profound love that God has for his creation. For you. For me. For all of us. The hardest thing God could ever ask of us is the very thing he did for us—he gave us his only son. “I scarce can take it in.”

Drew promises to come back for our weekly movie night. (He’s only moving an hour away.) In fact, right now we’re watching Galaxy Quest because we wanted to watch something campy and fun. The cast is quite good—Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman, and Tony Shalhoub. But the company is better. Thanks for being my movie man, Drew. You will always be loved.

His Only Son

An Original Production by
Christ Community Church

Written by
Tim Valentino

Narrated by
Ken Hunkins

Produced and Edited by
Tim Valentino

Artwork by
Maureen Logan

Choir Directors
Sonya Valentino
Shirley Long

Processional
Christ Community Church
Easter Choir

—

Music by

“Adagio for Strings,” String Quartet, Op. 11 by Samuel Barber, performed by the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Leonard Bernstein, Sony Music, 1971.

“Prelude” by Scott Brasher and J. A. C. Redford on Unveiled Hope by Michael Card, performed by the London Session Orchestra, featuring Hunter Lee, conducted by J. A. C. Redford, Myrrh, 1977.

Video by

His Only Son, directed by David Helling, starring Nicolas Mouawad as Abraham, Sara Seyed as Sarah, Edaan Moskowitz as Isaac, and Dan da Silva as the Lord, Angel Studios, 2023.

Jesus of Nazareth, directed by Franco Zeffirelli, starring Robert Powell as Jesus, Olivia Hussey as Mary, Yorgo Voyagis as Joseph, and Michael York as John the Baptist, ITC Entertainment, 1977.

The Passion of the Christ, directed by Mel Gibson, starring Jim Caviezel as Jesus, Icon Productions/Newmarket Films, 2004.

Licensed By

Christian Copyright Licensing International No. 21229380

Christian Video Licensing International No. 21-03851831

Little Boys and Their Mud

On March 10, 2026March 10, 2026 By Tim ValentinoIn General1 Comment

Boy, oh boy, do the boys ever love their dirt. And mud. And sunshine. That’s one of the delights of the recent winter thaw. They’ve been cooped up for what feels—to them—like an eternity, and now they get to play outside again. (For now, anyway. Pennsylvania weather tends to be schizophrenic, so we’ll see how long this lasts.) I kind of liked not having to do yard work, but here we are at the dawn of another season to weed, mow, plant, water, etc.

Holy Week preps are in full swing, as is the current (tedious) section of my dissertation. On top of all that, there are a lot of other projects that seem to be stacking up. But I had to take a moment to post some pics of Samuel and Levi, as it’s been a while. Have I mentioned lately how much I love these guys?

Etc.

Just had a marvelous Zoom session with a seminary student. He’s an INFJ on the MBTI, the rarest of the combinations (less that 3 percent of the population). We get along swimmingly. I’d love to put him on staff, but he’s already spoken for.

A ‘Sweet’ Shoutout on a Subsection of My Dissertation

On February 24, 2026March 6, 2026 By Tim ValentinoIn Bible & TheologyLeave a comment

More than anyone else, Dr. Leonard Sweet has taught me how to think in pictures, especially with regard to the biblical storyline. Truth be told, he’s taught me how to look at all of life that way, too, and I am grateful for it. That’s how children start out their lives. They see images before they see texts. They imagine real things before they ponder invisible abstractions. (Do you see the word “image” inside the word “imagination”?)

Quite significantly, that’s how grownups dream, too—not in propositions but in pictures. One might say that visuality is viscerality when it comes to being human. It’s part and parcel of who we are as creatures made in the image of God.

That’s one of the reasons I love science; it’s really the study of God’s imagination, which comes into existence as a creation we can see and touch. With true cosmic genius, the Lord has surrounded us with terrestrial and celestial treasures, often causing our mouths to fall open in wonder. Whether we look through the telescope or the microscope, we see incredible images. Things. Pictures. Marvels. And all of them tell a story of their maker.

For our sake, God tends to be tactile, though he himself is intangible. He is “high and lifted up,” yet “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” People touched him and heard him say, “If you’ve seen me, you’ve seen the Father.” Jesus is “God with us” all the way down.

Knowing the impact Len’s teaching had on a specific subsection of my dissertation, I shared it with him a few months ago to get his feedback. A PDF of that segment is provided below should you be interested in reading it. It’s far too pedantic, but that’s because it’s an exegetical dissertation, which is just the nature of the beast.

Len did a great job distilling its essence and translating the most important parts of it for all of us. He’s still the boss when it comes to inspiring and edifying through imagery. The subsection is called “The Veil as a Garment of God.” Len writes:

My colleague Tim Valentino just blew my mind with this: the temple was never only architecture—it was anatomy. Not just structure, but story. Not just stone, but skin.

In his work on the semiotics of the Temple, Tim shows how the Bible doesn’t merely describe the tabernacle as a building—it describes it like a body. The text speaks of a “head” (rosh), “face” (paneh), “rib” (tsela), “shoulder” (katef), and even “hands/fingers” (yadot).

And the veil? It functions like a sacred garment, shielding God’s radiant presence—just as Moses once wore a veil after meeting with God.

Here’s the breathtaking part: when the temple veil was torn at Christ’s crucifixion, it wasn’t just fabric ripping. Tim suggests it was like God’s own garment being torn in grief, echoing the ancient act of rending clothes in mourning. That moment becomes a divine lament over the death of His Son—and a new opening into God’s presence.

Suddenly, New Testament images of our bodies as temples and even the puzzling line in Hebrews about Christ’s body being the curtain (Hebrews 10:20) come alive.

For anyone still doubting the importance of semiotics to understanding Scripture and culture, let me say this again: God has been speaking through patterns, symbols, and metaphors all along—if we train our eyes (and hearts) to see them.

Thanks, Len, for helping me learn how to use the right side of my brain. To use only the left side is to be half human … and only half as effective in communicating the beauty, truth, and goodness of God in Scripture.

I used to have the privilege of teaching with Len in the Doctor of Theology program at Kairos Evangelical Seminary, and I miss getting to do that. Maybe someday we’ll be able to reunite in the classroom. But right now, the research and writing call for lots of focus. And thinking in pictures.

Dr. Sweet can be found online in numerous places. If my math is correct, he has published over 70 books by now.

(Valentino) The Veil as the Garment of God Download

Valentime’s Day

On February 14, 2026February 14, 2026 By Tim ValentinoIn GeneralLeave a comment

I suppose all children call it “Valentime’s Day” at first. Then they get to a certain age where they realize, “Hey, it’s actually called, ‘Valentine’s Day.'” And then they start saying it correctly, much like when they make the transition from “libary” to “library.” I’m not about to correct Samuel and Levi on either word just yet. There’s plenty of time for that. And then there’s a final correction they’ll need to learn when I tell them it’s actually “Valentino’s Day,” but that’s another post. 😍

Last night we had them over for pizza-movie night, and we told them we would decorate, set out some candles, and have a special dinner for them (although they absolutely forbade us from making any food substitutions for the pizza). They got so excited for the holiday special that they insisted on wearing their nice outfits we got them for Christmas Eve, complete with bowties.

It was an overload of cuteness. This morning they opened their gifts and had a marvelous time. A Valentime. One to remember. Below are some pics and vids from the past couple weeks.

The table is set for the Valentime special.

Levi painted me a red picture because I’m a Phillies fan.

Levi painted his arm, too.

The fireplace is ready for indoor S’mores.

Trying to make the marshmallows golden brown.

Water and food coloring are the ingredients for ice blocks.

And then we build our building with the colored ice bricks.

And a snowman in the front of the house.

Learning the Cha Cha Slide for Uncle Tino’s wedding.