Safe. Such a little word. We know what it means in baseball and in banks. When we use it to describe our sense of presence, it strongly implies physical safety. It is a little like security, but a bit closer to peace. Safe.
David Foster and Carol Bayer Sager have written a beautiful, special song, “The Prayer“, which captures the meaning and importance of a spiritual presence, which, by its very nature, is part and parcel of being “safe”: Continue reading
Recently I participated in a dedication ceremony for a “Peace Pole”. The multi-sided pole states in several languages our mutual hope for peace in our world. In our small community we have many of these symbols of peace, scattered in various locations where they serve as a reminder of what is important.
Throughout this country there is a disappointing sense that peace is so illusive, that to pursue it is a fool’s errand”, or not “cost-effective” or it would wreak havoc on our “military industrial complex”! Somehow, along the way, we have lost that very important guiding principle that was once so powerful that it caused the birth of our country! Freedom without peace, or peace without freedom — neither one works until they are joined. Continue reading
For years, on Memorial Day weekend, my wife and I have visited the cemetery where my parents are buried. It has become a tradition that helps us focus on memories and the role that mother and dad played in my life. As we stood at the graveside, I recalled a short story, a work of fiction that our daughter had written about her grandmother, whom she never met, since my daughter was born years after my mother died. Continue reading
Street Scene: There’s that guy, standing at the corner, holding a sign: “Homeless. Need food”. Or, the sign reads – “Will Work for Food”. Or, you are on your way into a store and are stopped by a young man who tells you he hasn’t eaten in two days, could you spare some money? Then there is that plea on television showing these sad little puppies or kittens who have been abused, and asking for donations. And, of course, we are asked to help victims of Katrina, or the tsunamis, or the crisis in Nigeria. It seems like everybody wants money! And all those pleas tend to give us pause when the next “opportunity” presents itself. Continue reading
The law of averages is a layman’s term used to express a belief that outcomes of a random event will “even out” within a small sample. Taken from a different standpoint, one could make the argument that left to our own devices or proclivities, each one of us would not be considered average, would not be part of the “evening out”. However, we are a product of society, and as such we are influenced to move toward that average, like it or not. Continue reading
Several years ago, on a ferry from Dover to Calais, heading for Antwerp, Belgium, I had no idea that I was in the process of having a heart attack! That night, this wonderful trip we had planned, visiting the Martin Luther sites in Germany, on to England for the Phantom of the Opera at the Palace Theater and, then, on to the Lake District, came to a crashing halt. Continue reading
Just to set the stage for this essay: In my early childhood I lived in Steubenville, Ohio, a small city on the banks of the Ohio River, just across from the steel mills of Wheeling, West Virginia. My father was pastor of a Congregational Church and we lived in the parsonage. Both the church and our house were situated on high hills well above the river and I recall with clarity pieces of my experience there with my two sisters and my parents.
The routines of our family were set by the pastoral work of dad and Sundays were very special. After worship the family would gather at the table for a delicious meal that mother had prepared. Dad would always turn on the radio to the Longines-Wittnauer Watch Hour and we would listen to classical music as we ate. I believe I can trace my love of classical music to that Sunday dinner routine. Continue reading
My early childhood was spent in Steubenville, Ohio, a small city on the banks of the Ohio River, just across from the steel mills of Wheeling, West Virginia. My father was pastor of a Congregational Church and we lived in the parsonage. Both the church and our house were situated on high hills well above the river and I recall with clarity pieces of my life there with my two sisters and my parents. Continue reading
Recently, a friend of ours told us of a terrible auto accident her 17-year-old son (call him Mike) had late one night coming back from his shift at a local fast food place. His 14-year-old Pontiac was destroyed when he swerved to avoid hitting a deer and over-corrected. His car flipped end over end and came to a jarring stop against a tree. The air bags did not deploy, but Mike had his seatbelt on and sustained only relatively minor injuries. Continue reading
Would you believe that 25% of the general public that participated in a recent National Science Foundation survey believe that the sun revolves around the earth! Or, how about this one: Many believe the “most interesting man in the world” who appears in a beer ad, is a real “most interesting person.” They are among those that believe that he really once experienced an awkward moment just to know how it feels! Try to argue with these folks…see how far you get! Don’t burden them with facts! Continue reading
My dad was a preacher for nearly 60 years and when he died I became the holder of all his files, his sermons, his notes, etc., box after full box. Some of the material was just background stuff, little snippets here and there, often unrelated, some were just items he collected because he thought each was interesting.
Recently I came across the following “Lesson”. I have no idea where this came from, who might have written it (assuming dad did not), or when. The only date on this yellowed piece of paper is nearly 40 years ago. If you are currently a teacher trying to keep up with the constant changes that seem to be handed down by administrators who may never have been in the classroom, you can relate. I present it here because it has humor and truth. You can figure out which is which. Continue reading
Way back before the invention of the printing press, I was a young father. As many young fathers often do, I invented some bedtime stories for my young children. While I am not much of a bedtime story inventor, I did come up with a few that both my daughter and son liked, and isn’t that what matters?
So, anyway, their favorite (and mine) was a series of three stories with Terry Tyrannosaurus as the hero. Terry lived before the invention of time and so we don’t know when he lived, we just know he did. His dad’s name was Rex, does that help? Now, I tried to create a story that had a meaning, a message, maybe even a moral! Heaven forbid! In my mind, the best of the batch was “Terry and the Garble Bush”. Continue reading
