The Church of England will not allow same-sex marriage, despite renewed debate and calls for change in the state church. Bishops met Jan. 17 to finalize a recommendation after five years of debate on the issue that already has ripped…
Counting your blessings instead of sheep
“Have you not heard anything I’ve said in the last four weeks!? Just what do I have to be grateful about?” The elderly widower in my grief group was incensed that the fourth session was focused on gratitude. The topic…
When you count your blessings, what do you count?
“The hardest arithmetic to master is that which enables us to count our blessings,” according to philosopher Eric Hoffer. I grew up in church singing the beloved hymn by Johnson Oatman Jr., “Count Your Blessings.” What is a blessing? And…
This small book is for health care workers operating on a wing and a prayer
Sarah Griffith Lund experienced so much anguish over the loss of loved ones in 2020 that she felt called to contribute to the recently released book, Prayers and Blessings for Healthcare Workers. “I realized I was holding such intense grief…
Savoring the moment when the sacredness of the present is made plain
It is only in suspension that the sacredness of the present is made plain. What lies ahead cannot be seen, but each day has enough trouble of its own. For now, there is this moment. This breath. This being here.
Hashbrown blessed or we’re all God’s children in the dark
Have you ever had that experience where-after happening upon the age of some celebrity or Silicon Valley tech maven who at 10 years your junior has already managed to accomplish more than you ever will-you find you have a rather…
So Very Kind of Pretty Much Thankful
On the one hand, I have an easy time giving thanks. On the other hand, I have a difficult time giving thanks.
Time to count our blessings
My ministry “day job” is to give leadership to my church fellowship’s national disaster response. In this role with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, I interact with our churches, other churches and faith-groups, NGO’s and voluntary organizations active in disasters. I…
Name Them One by One
As a child growing up in the rural church, I remember singing the old hymn “Count Your Blessings,” written by Johnson Oatman Jr. in 1897. The words of the song urged us to “Count your blessings, name them one by…