I have been bumping into this strange word, “woke,” a lot lately. I wondered what it meant. Digging around, I found “woke” means to be alert to racial and social discrimination and injustice. Why is this considered such a bad…
Paying our dues
By Roger Lovette On this Thanksgiving week I remember that old couple who were members of the rural church I served. Once a month, without fail, they would hobble in and hand me a check. They always said the same…
Singing in the darkness
By Roger Lovette If you were to travel to New York and move down Broadway to 43rd Street you would find the Stephen Sondeim Theater. If you bought a ticket and found your seat you would be in for a…
Still believing in the church
By Roger Lovette Moving through the kitchen I barely picked up the TV words. They were interviewing another minister who said he just could not believe in God. He has started a church for atheists. He even wears a clergy…
Looking for our fathers
Somewhere I read of a young man who in a fit of rage killed his father. That night when everyone was asleep in the jail, the jailer heard the boy sobbing: “I want my Father. I want my Father.” Almost…
Jason Collins and Mother’s Day
By Roger Lovette The recent announcement by NBA star basketball player Jason Collins that he is gay reminded me of a story a friend told about going to a championship football game. As the game progressed, a man sitting in…
Easter thinking
By Roger Lovette Every Easter the memory comes back. I had a chance to see the Passion Play in Oberammergau, Germany, several years ago. The play opened with Jesus riding into Jerusalem for the last time. The play ended with…
Keep the flame of liberty burning bright
The Founding Fathers gave us a bigger challenge than they realized. To work for the common good of all keeps the torch of freedom burning brightly. Nobody has expressed the essence of America more than the artist Norman Rockwell. His…
MLK and Mrs. Robertson
By Roger Lovette When any of us move from one place to another we take with us memories that don’t always fit into a suitcase. As we come to remember Dr. King on his birthday, I recall a Birmingham memory…