Holiday Sermons I’ve noted before that I’m not a big fan of holiday sermons. Perhaps it’s the rebellious part of my nature that takes umbrage at the command implicit in expectations for an appropriately-themed talk. Or maybe it’s because it’s because attending those services is often like watching the same TV episode too close to…
Month: May 2011
The Prayer of a Child
Michelle, Augie, and I were returning from Bible Study yesterday, and (as is quite often true) I had my iPod playing on shuffle through the car's stereo. I believe were were enjoying a song by Christina Anu when Augie made a simple request. (If you are not familiar with Anu, she's an Australian singer whose…
We Are Comfortable in Our Misery
Why? Why? Why? Abuse in relationships… We’ve all heard the horror stories of a woman whose husband abuses her physically and emotionally…yet she never leaves. No matter how many times she has to wear glasses to hide a black eye…no matter how many excuses she has to make for a bruise or a break… She…
Poof!
Within some Seventh-day Adventist circles there is a joke connected with how strict Adventists are unlikely to wear jewelry (even a wedding band is avoided). The only jewelry allowed has to be functional—for example, a watch. (To be fair, although I might come to a more tempered conclusion, they have valid reasons for their aversion…
Living in Ordinary Time
"I'm so very, ordinary / Nothing special, on my own. Oh I, have never / Walked on water. And I have never / Calmed a storm." So begins Nicole C. Mullen's inspirational song, "Call on Jesus." The reason that track comes to mind is because as I quickly head toward my 47th birthday I see…
The World According to Baljeet
Mount Cardigan in Orange, New Hampshire isn't terribly tall, peaking at 3,121 feet. Additionally, the main trail is a short hike of 1.3 miles. However, a good portion of it has a sharp inclination, especially as the trees thin and the granite becomes prolific. It was perhaps three quarters of the way up the mountain…
Osama
Last night, just before turning my iPad off and going to sleep, it really felt like I should set my Facebook status based on the death of Osama bin Laden. This is what I settled on: ”Say to them, As I live, declares the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the…
Running on Empty
Last week I mentioned the sermon's title, "And Then There Were None," was unintentionally the same as a book by Agatha Christie. This week, I chose "Running on Empty" fully well knowing that there was a song and record by Jackson Browne with the same name. Now, that's not my favorite Jackson Browne song—if I…