I have been thinking about minimal standards recently. For example Monday night in our Session meeting on Zoom we were reminded that an active member of the Presbyterian Church is anyone who has given some financial gift of any amount and attended worship at least...
I am always struck when I read a warning in the Christian Scriptures. It provides a moment of clarity. It seems to me, to cut straight to the point. I get a sense for what the authors intentions are. It makes me sit up straight and pay attention. One of the few times...
As a former teacher, I have always enjoyed the excitement of a new school year. I think this may be the first time in all my life that I am NOT excited. My oldest has gone off to college, my middle will be learning online until at least October, my youngest is going...
“And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.” – 1 Corinthians 13:3 Are you ready to go back to school? It happens whether we are ready or not – so let us pull a Bible verse and test ourselves to see how geared up we are to...
When I lived in Atlanta during seminary, my congressperson was recently deceased civil rights hero John Lewis. The story of Lewis’s life is a story of courage and fortitude in the face of ongoing systemic oppression. If you don’t know much about him, I encourage you...
Well, it’s Tuesday evening as I write this, and Ann Alexander has reminded me that tomorrow is the deadline for a pastoral message from me to be submitted for next week’s e-news. Of course, I would love to write something helpful, something instructive, maybe even...
During this pandemic, I believe God celebrates our creativity in how we are worshipping, studying, and caring for one another. We continue to move forward as the body of Christ despite the obstacles in front of us. We lean into our faith in Jesus Christ who is our...
Hi Parents! How are you? Well, after a couple months of remote learning, working from home with no child care, a summer in which travel was largely prohibited, and now facing a very uncertain return to school – maybe, maybe not – I think I can probably come up with a...
Most of us have experienced special moments when the beauty of the natural world overwhelms us. We sense and feel not just beauty but the sacred. The Celtic tradition suggests there are thin places on the earth where the presence of God radiates brightly. Places where...
Since the beginning of 2020, I’ve read 68 books. According to the website where I log my reading, that’s amounted to 17,343 pages; the shortest was 91 pages and the longest was 529. Of those 68 books, 19 were autobiographical; I clearly love to read memoirs! Twelve...
