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 …