Our church had its typical old grouch. The man served in various leadership positions and could be counted on to bring his bucket of cold water to douse any spark of creativity or youthful enthusiasm. Proverbs 29:22 A man of wrath stirs up strife, and one given to anger causes much transgression. You know the … Continue reading Is Everybody Angry These Days?
HINDSIGHT IS 2020 When I was younger, I thought by the time a person is in their late 60s, they would have their life together. Spoiler alert to you young ones reading this: you don’t. Yes, it’s better – much better than the crazy, heady, confused younger years. Many of the questions are settled. There’s … Continue reading A New Calendar Year
As 2019 comes to a close, I'm thinking about cycles. Not the kind you ride, although I could make a case for them fitting into this theme. Cycles are phases that come full circle. They are revolving eras or a succession of expected markers in time. They are patterns. Cycles may be repeating events. They … Continue reading Turn Turn Turn
Today, December 14, 2019, my home state of Alabama is celebrating its 200th Anniversary. There have been special events all year, but today is the grand finale in downtown Montgomery. I'm not there, but I'm paying tribute in this post. We have to acknowledge the sins of our history where slavery was integral to the … Continue reading Six Pix on Saturday – or Seven
Yes, it’s the holiday season, but not yet New Year’s Day - as in January 1. It’s the beginning of the Advent season. On the church Christian calendar, Advent begins the new cycle of liturgical seasons that celebrate the full redemption story of Jesus. Sunday, December 1, was the first Sunday of Advent for this … Continue reading It's December, so Happy New Year!
UMC Hymnal #711 - Author William How. Churches in the mainline and those with more liturgical styles recognize All Saints Day on the Christian calendar. It’s officially November 1 but celebrated in worship on the first Sunday of November. For those who don’t follow this cycle of identifying special days during the year, you might … Continue reading For All The Saints
How many times do you cross a threshold every day? It’s not something we even think about. We go in and out of rooms. We enter and exit buildings. We pass through gates and other openings as part of our normal routine – unless we’re forced to crawl through a window when we lock ourselves … Continue reading Crossing Thresholds
