Unless you buy the cookies that bear his name, Amos ain’t so famous these days. One of the so-called Minor Prophets in the Old Testament, Amos was not a professional prophet but "one of the shepherds from Tekoa," who earned his living from his flocks and the sycamore-fig grove.

He was a vigorous spokesman for God, who declared that God would judge his unfaithful, disobedient, covenant-breaking people. This judgment would not be a blow to warn as happened before, but an almost total destruction.

The book of Amos is the basis for this year’s Lenten series called "Restore the Roar," which as you read this, will be well underway. March has a total of four midweek services, each one highlighting a different chapter. By the end of the series, you should have a better understanding of what Amos was trying to do way back when.

For more on the man and his message, we invite you to join us for Sunday morning Bible Class, as we’ll be looking at this book in some detail. And if I can find the time to do so, I might even share with you my translation of various verses. I’m sure that you’ll be impressed.

-Pastor Michael Koschmann