Category Archives: church

First century Christians

Posted on May 14, 2020 by jwfisch

I just spent an hour with a few of our Vanguard leaders talking about the future of the Catch. With the world turned upside down right now due to the pandemic, and the church turned outside in due to the … Continue reading →

Posted in church, discipleship, grace turned outward, pandemic | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

God stops oceans

Posted on April 27, 2020 by jwfisch

I was recently standing in a restaurant take-out line for lunch. You know the scene, I’m sure. You’re standing there with a surgical mask firmly in place over your nose and mouth, and Xs on the sidewalk that show you … Continue reading →

Posted in church, community, pandemic, relationships | Tagged | 7 Comments

Missing the crowds

Posted on April 22, 2020 by jwfisch

I’m so excited. Marti and I have tickets to see Hershey Felder perform Monsieur Chopin tomorrow night at the local theater. Felder is an incredible talent who has created a number of one-man shows where he dons the clothes, the … Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball, body life, church, community, pandemic, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Billy’s Cross

Posted on April 15, 2020 by jwfisch

This poem about Billy Graham was composed in 2013 by his brother-in-law, Leighton Ford, for Billy’s 95th birthday. Billy Graham died in February of 2018, nine months short of his 100th birthday. For almost a century, he was “America’s evangelist.” … Continue reading →

Posted in church, gospel of welcome | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Keeping the unity of the Spirit

Posted on April 1, 2020 by jwfisch

Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is … Continue reading →

Posted in body life, church, community, relationships | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

How to wash your hands in a pandemic

Posted on March 25, 2020 by jwfisch

This just in … Catch member comes up with the perfect hand-washing technique for these coronavirus-sensitive days. Frequent hand washing has been recommended as one of the simple practices we can perform to reduce our chances of contracting the virus. … Continue reading →

Posted in body life, church, pandemic | Tagged , , , | 15 Comments

How to safely gather together a group of over 10 people

Posted on March 23, 2020 by jwfisch

Sunday night’s Church at the Catch witnessed even more interaction — the most interaction we’ve had involving many who otherwise would have attended a local church but couldn’t because services were canceled due to self-imposed quarantines as an aid to … Continue reading →

Posted in church, community, discipleship, pandemic | Tagged , , , | 8 Comments

When can I get a hug?

Posted on March 20, 2020 by jwfisch

Stay-at-home Mom. Stay-at-home Dad. Stay-at-home schoolchildren. Stay-at-home non-essential workers. I guess just about everybody is staying at home. And all you need to confirm this is to drive on the L.A. freeways during rush hour and find out there is … Continue reading →

Posted in church, community, pandemic | Tagged , , , | 14 Comments

Good out of bad

Posted on March 19, 2020 by jwfisch

Last night we had our first International Online Video Conferencing Bible Study and it was a huge success. Fifteen people took part with representatives from the U.S. and Canada. It was a meeting that would have been “illegal” — or … Continue reading →

Posted in church, community, discipleship | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

Getting creative

Posted on March 13, 2020 by jwfisch

What an interesting time we live in. Just a few weeks ago, Corona was a bottle of beer with a slice of lime peeking out of it, and I would have guessed COVID-19 was a distant planet just discovered that … Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball, church, discipleship, walk by faith | Tagged , , , | 7 Comments