I read this article this morning and thought I would throw up. The article speaks of one Clarence Bailey, who, having just been convicted of capital murder of an elderly woman, leaned back in his chair and grinned while the elderly woman’s son spoke during the victim impact statement time during the sentencing phase. Bailey, speaking without permission, then said, “I’m still gonna be a man.” Is our society ever going to wake up to the fact that when people... Read more
This past Sunday,we spent the morning singing our favorite Gospel hymns. A fun and poignant morning, at least for me. As we sang, “Rock of Ages,” written over 250 years ago, the exquisite language and the need expressed–that God, our Rock, would indeed open (“cleft”) for us and provide a safe hiding place–touched me deeply. Three things spoke to me. One, partly because I am feeling especially vulnerable right now as I deal with some health issues (as they say,... Read more
I walked out one afternoon earlier this week without my mobile phone. I planned to spend the afternoon in reading and sermon prep, and left the office to a place where I could work uninterrupted. About five minutes away, I realized I didn’t have my phone. I thought about turning around and getting it, but decided to go “cold turkey” instead. I had my laptop, since I would be writing, and where I’m working has free WiFi, so emailed my... Read more
Sitting in my office right now is a young child, three years old. He’s adorable, polite, much loved and in a lot of trouble right now. That’s why he is sitting on my couch. For our Children’s Day Out program, “Pastor Christy’s Couch” is the worst of punishments. All other means of gentle correction have failed and the young one has chosen to continue in behaviors that are problematic to the health of the larger classroom and to his own... Read more
Some of the hardest words in Scripture come from Matthew, chapter 5, as part of the Sermon on the Mount: “You have heard that it was said, “You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and... Read more
Why do we dislike each other so? The author of an article called “Bloodlust” published in The Chronicle of Higher Education states this: “The most decisive antagonisms and misunderstandings take place within a community. The history of hatred and violence is, to a surprising degree, a history of brother against brother, not brother against stranger. From Cain and Abel to the religious wars of the 16th and 17th centuries and the civil wars of our own age, it is not... Read more
Going now into the third week of Lent, I find myself face to face with the human tendency to keep our truths well hidden, both from ourselves and others. We see this taking place on an international stage as Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi continues to make pronouncements that are difficult to swallow about the situation in Libya. He asserts that he is much adored by the people of that troubled country, where he has announced, “Either I will rule you or... Read more
The hope of spring: it amazes me each year. Saturday morning, as I promised myself, I headed to the yard to begin the process of cleaning out the flower beds and see what needs to be done next. Last year, I had planted three unusual crepe myrtles, a low-growing, small variety with cascades of lavender blooms appearing in the hot weather. They didn’t do particularly well last year–fairly normal for newly planted landscape foliage, but by late fall, I wasn’t... Read more
Today, the second Saturday in Lent, I shall spend as much of the day as possible in the garden at the parsonage. I hope by late afternoon to be extremely dirty, tired, sore and with a stronger sense of the things I use to protect myself from entering the kingdom of heaven. On Sunday, I’ll be telling the story of the man who comes by darkness to talk with Jesus. I’m going to tell this through the eyes and ears... Read more
Into the second week of Lent, I find myself distracted from the time necessary to really do the important self-examination necessary for real repentance. A continued battle with severe allergic response, which exacerbates the constant problem of projects unfinished, has very much affected me plans. That, actually, I suspect, is what is making this Lenten journey even more enlightening. I have learned that a quick “I’m sorry” or a “I’ll fix this later” does absolutely nothing to bring about real... Read more
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In