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Do you know the fourth stanza of our National Anthem? Long ago, when I began college, I was a part of the Concert Choir at Pfeiffer College.  We were a choir of about 30+ students, some of us music majors, but many of us not.  We sang many, many places during the four years I … Continue reading A Widow, A Soldier, and A Song

Very clearly, I remember my first Philosophy class, taken my senior year in college.  I loved it!  If I had taken that class in my freshman year I would have changed my major!  I would have been a thinker, a philosopher or as Dictionary.com puts it, “a person who offers views or theories on profound … Continue reading Lost in Wonder

    Without warning With no indication And no sign to suggest That my heart was about to brim The saltwater tears formed Blurring my vision Already clouded by the fog and rain   These tiny drops took their time At first And then showered down my face Without warning With no indication And no … Continue reading In the Face of Death

  Every year, when World Communion comes around on the first Sunday in October, I think of her—the child I saw in the streets of what was previously known as Bombay, India.  It was long ago, but I have never completely forgotten her and each World Communion Sunday I bring her with me to the … Continue reading Redemption at the Table: A Meditation for World Communion Sunday

  On a Monday afternoon When the sun is dancing, Making dappled lights and shadows Through the leaves on the trees, Projecting summer shapes on the places where my feet trod And the breezes are caressing my face Whispering words in my ears Of encouragement And mercy And grace, I find my hands open and … Continue reading Fear

To engage in the construction of a new church is an awesome and difficult task.  Many pastors and congregations have tales to tell that suggest that undertaking a building project is not for the faint-hearted. There is so much to consider. A new building must reflect the congregation’s need for new space.  There is consideration of cost.  … Continue reading Regard Your Servant’s Prayer

Over the weekend I officiated at a wedding for a young man who I have known since he was eight years old, when I moved to the town where he and his family lived, and I became his pastor.  He is brilliant and funny and now, full of life.  However, he has also had his … Continue reading Experiences While Knitting a Blanket

  The question comes As I knew it would Quiet as a whisper Through early morning sounds Of cricket chirps and bird canticles Over a steaming mug of my favorite Guatemalan coffee “Is your spirit quiet this morning?”   For a moment I wait Not ready to answer Not ready to commit To something that … Continue reading This Day My Spirit is Green

Then David slept with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David.  These are the words that begin the next chapter of the saga of King David and the words are loaded with meaning and hints of intrigue.  These are words of transition that bridge the details of the end of David’s reign … Continue reading I Ask For Wisdom

This summer, as the Old Testament Lectionary readings have taken us through the saga of his life, we reach a turning point for King David, when the Prophet Nathan was sent by God to confront David about his sin.  Nathan told a story to David about a poor man who had an ewe lamb. The … Continue reading Deal Gently