Gather flowers before frost
Gather flowers before the frost Last night was the first frost here in West Granby. So for me it was time for my annual tradition, going out and cutting armfuls of flowers for season-end bouquets. I especially associate this tradition with picking marigolds as they are not the easiest to arrange and they look better …
Fun for the 200th Anniversary of our church
The early part of our church’s history was during the Victorian era. So to enhance the sense of the age of our church, our Anniversary committee invited people to dress Victorian if they desired for the 200th Anniversary Sunday. JoAnne and I thought that would be a lot of fun. She has been a …
Rose Arbor Project Completed
When I was a boy there was a white rose arbor in our side lawn. Pictures were often taken there. It marked the entrance to one of the flower gardens on our rural farm property. When my wife was a girl, she often spent summers at her Grandparents’ house. The entrance to the …
Amend the debate process
The fact that Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, the two least trusted candidates in the primary season, are running as candidates of the major parties shows that the American primary system is not working. No doubt one of the chief causes is the debate system. The linked article proposes some good solutions for amending …
God Has Taken the Spiritual Initiative; Faith is Our Response
“The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to him” (2 Chronicles. 16:9). “All throughout the Bible this is one of the certain ways of God. He takes the initiative! And what he initiates, he completes! (Henry T. …
A Hopeful Commentary for our Democracy’s Future
In the midst of this woeful campaign season where more Americans dislike their candidates than ever before, one wonders about a way to a solution. The system seems broken. Here’s a commentary that I found very hopeful. How Consumer Culture Is Killing Citizenship
New study of gender identity causes
Gender identity continues to be in the news. This study opposes the prevailing mantra that genes directly cause a person to become gay. However, it does say that the evidence shows that some genetic traits may increase the likelihood of a person identifying as gay. The study also affirms that child sexual abuse remains one …
Wisdom for Preserving Things
Maybe it’s natural as we get older be more interested in preserving things. When I was younger, I don’t recall being interested in preserving history in the way that I am now. Especially since becoming pastor of a church with a 200 year time-line, I’ve become very aware of the value of the story …
Praying Deeply
A Devotional Challenge This year I’ve been reading from one of my favorite devotional books, A Guide To Prayer For Ministers And Other Servants. Each week, there are some readings to prod one’s thinking. Today the readings were about prayer that goes so much deeper than words. In our troubled world today, we must …