What a time we are having. What times we are having. Pandemic. Physical distance. Police shooting. Protests. Riots. Tension. Anger. Fear. Spikes. Spats. Spitting. Like Jacob, let’s wrestle God for a blessing. Here is my wrestling in the convergence of recent events. The wearing or not wearing of masks creates both instant and superficial judgment. By the appearance of our […]
Like everyone else over the last three months I adjusted in an instant to live-stream worship, Zoom meetings and any other digital, computer aided gizmo I could find to keep in touch with people and keep our ministry moving forward. Thank God for virtual reality! Indeed, God provides. It’s been good, but it’s not been great. When all is said […]
My wife Sallie and I have been married forty years this Sunday. A friend asked me this last week what I have learned in forty years of marriage. It was one of those questions that called for instant profundity. I have problems being profound even with the luxury of time. Here is what popped into my mind and mouth. “It […]
I like democracy. I like the idea of voting. It is one of the things that is great about America. I would want no other system. But I am not so crazy about it in the Church, or at least in the local congregation. In fact through the years as a pastor I have endeavored to see how few of […]
As a pastor when it comes to sports, I am a layman. While I have spent quite a bit of time playing and watching sports, I am a layman. The x’s and o’s and routes and schemes remain a mystery to me. As a pastor when it comes to finances, I am a layman. I have always liked numbers and […]
The “VID”, as we dis-affectionately call COVID-19 at our house, has changed so many things in your life and mine! It made a big change in one of my favorite pastoral activities of the year. As part of our Confirmation process we still have our kids go through a “Question Night.” That consists of having the students sit in front […]
I have been thinking about power this week. A lot of power has been wielded lately. Edicts have been handed out from the White House and state houses. Medical experts have made authoritative pronouncements that have determined what others can and cannot do. Assorted technological platforms have taken over parts of our lives in a fortnight. Individuals are increasingly resisting […]
By and large old sayings are true. That’s how they get to be old sayings; their truth endures through time. A stitch in time does save nine. Measuring twice makes the one cut more accurate. Money can buy lots of things but in fact it cannot buy happiness– for long. You can’t be too careful. Or can you? That is […]
I walk my dog with some intentional vigor. Early in the morning. There is a routine. Because I live in Michigan, I start with multiple layers of clothing depending on the weather. Shoes and socks, obviously. A hat, either a stocking cap or a baseball hat comes next. For lots of the year I use a reflective vest since my […]
As we make our way through this topsy-turvy virus crisis with all it ups and downs… deaths, tests, ventilators, layoffs, quarantines, wet markets, statistics… does your stomach ache? Did you know that motion sickness is caused by a confusion in your brain between your inner ears and eyes that ends up on your stomach? If you are traveling by car, […]