I cannot remember when I first read about the culture of the Minoans. I suppose I was in High School in some language class or other, reflecting on the origins of languages. (Yes, I was right and truly a nerd!) There was talk of a language called Linear B, scrolls of which were discovered on the island of Crete, a large body of land, south of mainland Greece, in the Mediterranean Sea. These documents were found at a very large... Read more

Having moved to Southern California in May of last year, I am even more acutely aware of the need for and the huge problem of water. We have lived here now for nearly 8 months, and during that time we have had exactly one day (1!) of measurable rain. I understand that we are now living in what is in effect a desert—with a wonderful profusion of flowering plants to enjoy—but a dearth of water is ominous, to say the... Read more

(Lectionary for December 31,2107) This long title requires some explanation. I am assuming that very few churches will actually hold New Year’s Day services this year, since it falls on a Monday. I further assume that most preachers will attend to the “new beginnings” theme on the Sunday before. Hence, I will briefly discuss why Ecclesiastes 3 remains the very worst text one might choose for this day, while Is.43 is precisely the right text. Why do the lectionary collectors... Read more

(Lectionary for December 24, 2017) Any preacher worth her salt (and armed with a measure of pepper!) both longs for Christmas and trembles in fear before it. Good grief (to quote a famous man-child), it is Christmas, for heaven’s sake! What can possibly go wrong? The children’s pageant has gone off without a hitch (well, save that little sheep who wet her fleece), the choir has performed with energy and conviction one more rendition of Handel’s redoubtable work, at least... Read more

As I revealed in a post of a few weeks ago, I was privileged to be sent to several exotic locations in order to lead retreats for Air Force Chaplains. Beginning in San Antonio, TX (perhaps not so exotic, but very nice indeed!), along with Asilomar on the Monterrey peninsula of California, I then went to Germany and Japan, the latter to the Air Force Base on Okinawa. This was October of 1985, now over 32 years ago. So many... Read more

(Lectionary for December 24,2017) I have long loved the brilliant stories of Saul, Samuel, David, and their fascinating friends and enemies as found in the Hebrew Bible’s two books of Samuel. I love them so much as to have published one novel based on them (King Saul, 2015) and to have completed a draft of a sequel, “King David,” I hope soon to be found in a store near you. The author(s) of the vast and astonishing tales that comprise... Read more

Though I have relayed something of this story in an earlier blog—at my advancing age, I cannot remember exactly when—I had a very memorable preaching assignment on the main island of Fiji in August, 2004. The request to preach and teach in such an exotic locale was made possible by a former student who has spent nearly his entire ministerial career teaching in international places from India to Kiribati to Ecuador, to mention only a few of his posts. His... Read more

(Lectionary for December 17, 2017  Advent 3) Last night (Dec.4, 2017), I attended a meeting with representatives of three California members of the US Congress, two members of the House of Representatives and one Senator. All three of these members are proclaimed progressives, and almost completely opposed to the work of the current administration in Washington. On every issue discussed, from climate change to immigration to the huge tax bill currently having passed the House and the Senate, these professional... Read more