Chasing Off God... October 2, 2005
It is an odd juxtaposition what with a scripture of warning on a beautiful, wonderful day like today. It comes like a slap in the face or as tragic news that intrudes upon a birthday, a wedding or another celebration. It is an incredibly beautiful morning. Oddly, I had two different people stop me this week, noting the wonderful, blue September sky only to say, “It reminds me of 9.1.1.” How odd. How intrusive. Life and death do have a way of invading each others' domain. ...(read more)


Beyond Panic and Trouble... October 9, 2005
Today's scripture is about the knee-jerk response that fails. The story of the golden calf is about trouble that leads to crisis then to a quick fix that makes matters only worse. It is the story of the child who stole some candy, lied about it, invented another story and got into even bigger trouble. It is the story of the American executive who fudged the figures to show a larger profit margin then brought down the entire company in efforts to dig his way out. Today's lesson is a story of the disastrous quick fix that serves as a warning for all who encounter times of trouble, namely, every one of us....(read more)

Carried by a Calling... October 30, 2005
I am… I am a white man in his early 50's. I am married to a wonderful woman with two fine, grown sons. I am fortunate. I am… How do you complete this sentence? What of the “I ams” that give you strength ... or give you pause? Others might say, “I am an alcoholic,” and, in the naming, a road to recovery is opened. Others, suffering from a history of being beaten down or simply not in a position to get up, might start by saying, “I am just ....,” the “just” is the telling word... (read more)

Wisdom in Waiting... November 6, 2005
A friend from one of the A.A. meetings came by the church office with a question. He had seen the fliers around the church announcing “It's Here” and was a bit curious. He hadn't read the details, announcing that the “It” in ‘It's Here” is the new web site, and, having focused on the picture of bight light breaking across the night sky, he was wondering if we were announcing the Second Coming of Christ. Now, it is not every day that one of our secretaries is asked to comment on such things of an apocalyptic nature... (read more)Buried Treasures... November 13, 2005
This passage is commonly known as the Parable of the Talents, and is a veritable treasure trove of imagery. In his typically obscure fashion, Jesus used this confusing and edgy method of story telling, the parable, to instruct those who flocked around him... (read more)
Signs of God's Presence: Longings ... November 27, 2005
I like this time of year of Thanksgiving rolling into Advent. I love the gatherings, the visits with family & friends, the phone calls with those at a distance and, yes, the food. After Thanksgiving I enjoy pecan pie for breakfast and leftover turkey on rye bread for lunch. Of course, we have left over cranberry jell-O in our household as well. By tradition I make it every year (nice and tart) and, by tradition, few of our guests eat it! The foods tell a story. On the surface it is about a turkey dinner but, like most traditions, it is really about the abiding yet vulnerable ties of care, family, community and faith. We are here, in part, to encounter those deeper levels of faith and passion that swirl underneath the trappings of tradition. (read more)Signs of God's Presence: Messengers ... December 4, 2005
In the classic sardonic style of the New Yorker cartoons this particular one features two men under a giant billboard that carries the blaring letters “Stop and Think.” The one man is saying to the other, “It sort of makes you stop and think, doesn't it.”
(read more)Signs of God's Presence: Angels ... December 18, 2005
“Look, there is God!” It is a bold, some would say preposterous assertion. God? Just how do you know? The demonic and deranged, as well as saints, make such claims. “There is God!” “This is God's will.” Many claim that they know it but can't quite prove it. Yet saints and sinners alike claim to know God. (read more)