I heard his story from a preacher friend. A little boy was diagnosed as having a terminal illness. When he was told the situation and that he would soon die, he retreated fearfully into a cocoon of total silence. No one...not his doctors or nurses, not even his...
My family was not long on formality. To say that we were “casual” may be an understatement. Warmth of the relationship and the caring of my parents is what I remember most. How we related to and treated another, whether formal or casual, is what mattered. That was...
When we meet someone we haven’t known, we don’t get far in the conversation before we ask, “And what is your job?” Many times we ask the same question another way, “And what do you do?” Hardly ever, but now and then we may ask it, “And what is your vocation?” We...
Nations keep their history alive through monuments that mark significant persons or events. Memory is important, and we need markers for our memories. In recent years, the toppling of public statues has become a kind of “mark of protest” for the topplers. My...
In his Letter to the Colossians Paul referred to Christians as Saints in the light (Colossains 1-12) Saints. What does that image conjure in your mind. Stained glass? A well-lighted painting in a museum, like El Greco’s Saint Jerome which I saw at the Metropolitan in...
Recently the director of a fishing tournament in Ohio found something fishy at a fishing tournament. Two men were disqualified after their fish were found to be stuffed with lead weights. The director of the tournament estimated the five walleye to be about 20 pounds...
The headline grabbed my attention: THOUSANDS WITHOUT WATER IN JACKSON, MISSIPIPPI. A close family member lives in Jackson, and I immediately called him. He was fine but they were drinking boiled water. He seemed “unconcerned,” so I filed the matter in memory. But I...
There is nothing prosaic about the Lord’s Prayer. I begin with that claim not only to get your attention but to dogmatical state a fact. I repeat it, there is nothing prosaic about the Lord’s Prayer. Ponder for a moment. This prayer is the most familiar of Christians...