A virus. A tornado. A rapidly shifting political scene. And that was just by Wednesday! How do you and I as people of faith, respond to the volatility? First, the virus. Jesus focused much of his energy on healing the sick. Without antibiotics or IV’s, Jesus had compassion on those with incurable Read More...
“I have no problem giving up alcohol for the 40 days of Lent” my friend told me. “But if I try to say no to a glass of wine other times of the year, it seems impossible. I don’t know why that is.” This conversation with my friend got me to thinking Read More...
'I wish you were either hot or cold, but you are lukewarm,' says Jesus to the church in the book of Revelation. Guilty as charged. There are too many days that my faith feels lackluster. Sometimes my prayer life feels like going through the motions but I wish my prayers were more Read More...
The world no longer trusts Christians who ʻlove Jesus but do not seem to love anything else,” writes Richard Rohr, in his latest book, The Universal Christ. Valentine’s Day is a good day to reflect on what we love, who we love, how we love. My earliest memory of Valentine’s Day is Read More...
She was on the drill team and worked in the library to pay her tuition. He was on a football scholarship. These small town/farm kids met at Navarro Junior College in Corsicana, Texas in 1955, fell in love and got married two years later. From their love, came my sister and me Read More...
I was one of 40,000 students at University of Texas so it was a shock during my first semester at graduate school at Yale to receive an invitation to join a small group of students for dinner at the home of a professor. Dean Harry B. Adams was a Disciples of Christ minister Read More...
One of the best things about marriage is that you may inherit a fabulous second family. When I first met my husband’s entire family 30 years ago, I met all the nieces and nephews, including Jered, the oldest. He was a sweet and good kid but not a very motivated high school Read More...
A hundred years ago, some folks decided to build a church. Several lots were considered and finally 61st and Ward was chosen. The cost of the first building was estimated at $50,000. But when the bids came back, it was actually going to cost $60,000. They met to decide what to do. Read More...
O Little Town of Bethlehem, What Child is This, Angels we Have Heard on High, and Silent Night all vie for first place. What is your favorite carol? None makes my heart soar more than Joy to the World, especially when the trumpets and organ lets loose on Christmas Eve and we Read More...
During December some of us struggle to balance the extra demands on our time with a longing to remain spiritually centered. How do we embrace the busyness, fun, and festivities that honor the arrival of the sacred while also carving out a still small moment to reflect and ponder the meaning of Read More...
“Is this an uncomfortable place for you to be?” a sister asked her brother. It seemed like a strange question to ask given the setting. The wedding guests were joyously dancing on the dance floor. The cousins had just sung a duet, an old spiritual. The children were savoring a slice of Read More...
When the church staff convenes each Tuesday we engage in a discussion about a topic prompted by an article we’ve all read in advance. Because we bring a variety of gifts ministry, the topics are wide ranging: from music to technology, from theology to business management. We muse about how God’s Spirit Read More...
I wonder if Mary and Joseph told anyone that their 12 year old, Jesus, had disappeared for three days while the family was attending a festival. Or if the father of the prodigal son shared with his rotary club friends that his son was out squandering his inheritance at the casinos in Read More...
College students singing classic spirituals, concert pianists performing Bach and toddlers dancing to the sounds of a flute. These were our visions when we crafted the October concert series at the church. It would be a way to celebrate the classical music that graces our weekly 11:00 a.m. worship as well as Read More...
For the last eight months, the church leadership has been listening to its members through a series of events: Centennial Conversations, First Impression Gatherings and a Feasibility Study. (See related article on results of that study on page 2.) But what I want to muse about is the theological or spiritual enterprise Read More...
