It was a typical early spring London afternoon, damp, occasional sprinkles, low overhanging clouds. I’m here in London enjoying a couple of weeks playing “Granny” to three year old and 1 1/2 year old grandsons. We had been joined for the day by their cousins, two girls, aged 8 and 5 and they had all played together quite well most of the day. But now the littlest one was up from his nap, and a long, unplanned afternoon spread out... Read more
Late last week, my husband and I were hosting a birthday party for a business friend of his at a restaurant in East Dallas. The party was to begin at 6:30; we left Krum at 5:25, cutting it pretty close timewise. Of course, if I had been driving, we would have left earlier, but that is a story for another time! After a brief slowdown on I35 at the south end of Denton, we enjoyed smooth driving through Lewisville and... Read more
“If all the churches in your community disappeared, what difference would it make?” I read this question this week and felt it worth exploring. If all the churches disappeared, what difference would it make? Now, I don’t know the inner workings of all the churches here, just the one where I serve. But I will affirm this: the people of every church in our community work diligently to add value to us. I know that people are fed and clothed,... Read more
As I write today, it is a cold, wet Thursday morning. I have ensconced myself at a window seat in a Macdonald’s near Baylor Hospital, close to downtown Dallas. I just dropped off a friend for his daily radiation treatment in his fight against cancer and headed here to think and write and read a bit. It’s late morning and busy here. Mostly with senior citizens who come and enjoy the low priced “senior coffee” and conversation each each other.... Read more
Recently, I received a letter from something called the “Cambridge Who’s Who” telling me what an important person I am and that my candidacy to be included in this prestigious directory has been approved. All I have to do is visit my personalized website and fill out the application form there and I’ll be in. Well, it is about time someone recognized how important I am and acknowledged my growing celebrity! Yes, this is written tongue-in-cheek. I get these things... Read more
As I write this, I’m sitting in the waiting room of Methodist Hospital, Dallas. I’ve just heard a piece of very difficult news about a treasured colleague and friend. Shortly, I’ll be speaking with her about this, but right now, all I can do is weep. My distress is obvious, and a woman sitting across from me comes over and puts her arms around me. “Just cry. It’s OK, let it out.” We talked for a little while. She speaks... Read more
Some people are just mean. Mean as in nasty, intentionally hurtful to others in words, actions and thoughts. “Mean” can also describe someone who is stingy with finances, time, love and compassion, but that is not the direction I’m going here. I’m just talking about plain old meanness. People who appear to live with such a sense of entitlement that they carry no concern about their treatment of others. Other people, animals, nature: all these are simply objects to be... Read more
My yard is full of weeds this late winter week. I’ve seen this happen before when we’ve moved into a different house and started the progress to an organic lawn and garden maintenance program. Without harsh weed suppressants, the not yet healthy lawn is permeable to every possible weed right now. It’s messy and a little frustrating. I want to just blast it with some magic quick fix product and be done with it. I also know the cost of... Read more
“Is that your cell phone?” I squirmed in embarrassment as a well-known theologian and pastor turned to me in the midst of a presentation in a crowded auditorium on the SMU campus and asked that question. I started to apologize when he interrupted me and said, “In our church, we insist that everyone leave their cell phones on and that babies are never shushed. If we don’t have time to listen to crying babies, what do we have time for?... Read more
I sat in the seminar room watching the young and articulate woman across from me explain how she was serving as pastor to a church in what is called the “emergent” stream of Christianity. This young, energetic, vitally alive woman described how they meet in rented facilities on Sunday evenings, all go out to dinner together afterward, and then hit a pub or bar in the area and often have conversations that take them into the next day. How alive!... Read more
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