The word “normal” will be a long time returning to those in the path of Superstorm Sandy last week. Lives were lost, many made homeless, power is slow to be restored in multiple areas, schools disorganized, mud and debris cover formerly lovely neighborhoods. Hardest hit, as always, are the poor and the disabled. Cold weather has moved in with more storms, increasing the misery and danger. It’s just awful. Right after the storm, the blogosphere exploded with “Blame God for... Read more
I read this New York Times Magazine article with fascination, drawn into the beauty of the life of people on a Greek island. The writer has been seeking to find the key to their extraordinarily long lives. Their food is simple, homegrown, primarily vegetarian, and herbal teas and homemade wines are consumed daily. Exercise is just a normal part of life, and everyone gets plenty of sleep. However, the researcher affirmed the impossibility of just importing their food, sleep and... Read more
It’s old news that Lance Armstrong did indeed dope his way to his multiple Tour de France victories. His titles have been stripped from him. Future generations will know him as yet one more infamous athlete who broke the rules to win and was later disgraced when the violations became known. Why? No-brainer to understand that. No matter how great his gifts as an athlete–and he was very, very good–the only way to win that particular competition meant finding every... Read more
OK, it’s that time of year again. I am getting frequent email reminders to make sure that I and the SPRC fill out all the evaluative forms so the Cabinet will have adequate information for appointment purposes. One of the open-ended text blocks that the SPRC is asked to fill in reads this way: The qualities and functions of pastoral ministry needed to fulfill the mission and goals of the congregation. Here is the tentative answer from the SPRC at the... Read more
I suspect many who fly frequently share one secret fear: that the use of cellphones will be permitted after take-off. Picture the scenario: stuck in a middle seat between two people who are carrying on conversations on either side of you. Both use loud voices because of ambient noise. The phone calls consume the entire flight time, other than take off and landing. Are you nuts yet? All of us have been exposed—and probably exposed others—to the discomfort of overhearing... Read more
In some of my multi-faceted reading, especially when looking for a column idea, I head to the websites of some well-known advice writers. They receive fascinating arrays of questions like: “My mother has stolen my identity and runs up bunches of bills on my credit card–how can I make her more responsible financially?” “I just found out my boyfriend has this thing for underage girls–how can I make him stop since he is perfect in every other way and I... Read more
Last week, we began a study on “The Theology of Sexuality” in order to better equip our youth with a more solid understanding of the nature of their physical selves in relation to their spiritual selves. Today, I saw this article in the Huffington Post Religion section, asking, “What would we our younger selves about faith?” Most respondents, both those quoted in the article and those who are writing in the comments section, essentially said, “don’t believe any of it.”... Read more
This past Sunday, our church began a study called “Developing a Theology of Sexuality.” We began it with fear and trembling, knowing we are moving into complex waters. We invited parents and teens and pre-teens. We made it clear: no youth or pre-teens without their parents. This must be a multi-generational discussion. The idea for this sprang from a message series I did last January and February on why we lose so many of our young people when they get... Read more
When does a religious movement take on the characteristics of a destructive cult? And why do people need to take extreme positions? I’ve been pondering that while considering a strange trial in Ohio. On trial are Amish Bishop Samuel Mullet along with 15 of his followers. The charge: invasion of another Amish community and desecration of its members by cutting off their beards (for the men) and hair (both men and women). Please note that to the Amish, such acts... Read more
“All you can do is pray.” I said this to our Children’s Day Out (CDO) director this past Thursday after a conversation about the increasingly desperate need to purchase a van. The program, CDO, had simply exploded, particularly in the last 20 months when it moved from preschool to a full-service daycare, including before and afterschool care. Which also means transporting a lot of students each day. Determined fundraising had netted about $12,500, but a really good quality and safe... Read more
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