During this past Lenten season, our congregation journeyed together around the theme of forgiveness — God’s forgiveness of us, as well as our forgiveness of ourselves and others. Here are some takeaways. 1. Believe it or not, a lack of…
Taking it all in – the pain and the joy
Joseph Andrew Haynie’s eyes were blue. Reading his Army discharge papers fifty-eight years after his death, I learned this simple fact. Joe Haynie married Katie Louise Clyde in the tumultuous year of 1941 – and left not long afterwards for…
Everything I’ve learned this year
On] Writing: shitty first drafts. Butt in chair. Just do it. You own everything that happened to you. You are going to feel like hell if you never write the stuff that is tugging on the sleeves in your heart–your…
Eyes wide open
After Sunday’s service, a friend emailed me a confession: He kept his eyes open during Prayers of the People, which I led this week. It was a Lenten prayer about finding beauty in dry places, the hand of God in…
What the church can learn from Super Bowl commercials
Did you watch the Super Bowl on Sunday night? Not only did we have a thrilling game and an extravagant half-time show, but the commercials were a focal point of the night as they always are. The Super Bowl is…
Losing Grandma
It is rare that a phone call at 8 am on a Sunday morning is a good one. This past Sunday was no exception. We got the word that Tracy’s grandmother, Marie Berklich, passed away in the night at the…
Christmas Ornaments
For the first three years after my Father died, my Mother refused to put up a Christmas tree. Christmas had been a beloved holiday for both my parents, and my Father spent countless hours each year setting up the Snow…
If spiritual gifts are from God, why do they make you uncomfortable?
Many years ago when walking down the hall in the building where I worked, I decided I would stop by Ken’s office and ask about him. It was discovered several months earlier that Ken had a growth behind one of…
The death of Mrs. Doubtfire
By Bob Setzer The death of Robin Williams hit me hard. While on sabbatical, Bambi and I have sought to insulate ourselves from the bad news that is a staple of the modern diet. Given spotty Internet connections and unfamiliar…