Bare, white walls. Clean linoleum floors. Hints of disinfectant in the air. I rounded the corner on my way to Cameron’s room in the stroke unit of the hospital. To my delight and surprise, I saw Tom waiting in the hall while a nurse met with Cameron. I don’t know why I was surprised that people from church would pay him a visit …
This past summer I “plant sat” for Gretchen, my neighbor. She had nine beautiful tomato plants and two promising green pepper plants. That was a lot next to my single patio tomato in a five-gallon bucket …
I wanted to talk to a friend after the church service, but I remembered the “three-minute guideline” presented at a leadership meeting. For three minutes after the service, we were asked to talk to folks we didn’t know. So I looked for newcomers. I spoke to a man I didn’t recognize, but he seemed nervous and put off. Since he hadn’t been to church in a long time, I tried to make him feel comfortable, joking about the crowded parking. He seemed more at ease …
One Sunday this past spring our congregation gathered, as we do each year, to celebrate a baptismal service. The event is a highlight of the church year and an important part of our congregational identity. We gather in the fellowship hall for breakfast. Then, as the tables are being cleared, someone leads out in the folk hymn “I Went Down to the River to Pray,” which we sing with gusto before piling into cars to caravan to a local pond …
As N.T. Wright sees it, something is awry in western Christianity. Wright, the Bishop of Durham for the Church of England and a prominent evangelical scholar, doesn’t flat-out say we’ve become heretics, but he comes close. The problem, in brief, is that we no longer believe in the resurrection …
I’ve been impressed of late with what an astounding quality kindness is. It used to sound like one of those wimpy virtues that were all about being nice. For anyone who wanted to make their mark in the world, kindness was more or less optional. It didn’t have pride of place like liberty and justice for all. It surely didn’t rank with loving enemies and waging peace …
A single powerful story can affect generations of people that follow. Sometimes such a story creates a movement and a set of convictions. Analyzing the stories that are foundational to our faith can reinforce the values woven into our faith …
