Category Archives: Uncategorized

Our congregation is studying the Sabbath, what it means and how we need this time of rest that God designed for his creation. One of the things we need to do is to stop and delight in the creation God has created and placed us in. It reminded me of some of the poetry I wrote several years ago. Those were days when it seemed easy to express my delight in God. In many ways I want those days back.

Winter Pleasures

God,
Does your great majesty
Keep you from
The cold softness
Of tongue caught snowflakes?
The tingle of frost reddened cheeks?
The dazzle
A million crystal diamonds
Brings to the eyes?
The light shush
As wind calls
Through branches of spruce?

Perhaps these winter pleasures
Reserved for the likes of me
Were breathed into being
As hints of eternal glory.

Beginning again is just not as easy as I thought.

And life has been tough. A lot of uncertainty surrounding family issues. But right now things seem to have settled a bit.

I saw my cardiologist yesterday and the old ticker is beating away without signs of wear. There has been some adjustment of my medications that may help with my cold tingly feet and my sweating episodes. We’ll see.

On another topic altogether, I am enjoying the Bible study Terri has set up for a group of women. They have their personal struggles and I have mine. Its good to share together, find strength in God and in these sacred relationships.

Well, it has arrived. It’s come, not with a vengeance as it does some years but rather has come dribbling in. Bits of snow over 3 or 4 days. Sky low and grey. Cold and miserable. No nice fluffy snow. The small amount of snow started out as freezing rain so a bit slippery but not excessively so. Still the atmosphere has changed. Days are so short. The beginning of a five or six month season. Can’t say that I enjoy this time of year – I’m too old and don’t move with enough agility anymore for winter sports. I do love fireplaces and books and the weather gives a good excuse for staying inside.

I used to blog with words and images but now its been years. Its hard to believe that its been about eight years. Lots of reasons I guess but mostly that writing sermons and cooking for the homeless takes a lot of time. I hope that retirement will free me up for more creative things. Reflections, opinions and poetry should show up here.  And pictures. I have taken so many of those that need to be shared.

I think you’ll see that our family has grown. Grandchildren are great! Some of them may show their faces here from time to time. My own children laugh at how I blogged about them often. And I think they still love me!!!

Now to just figure all this web site stuff out again so I can do that.

What happened to the church in Jerusalem in AD 70 when the city was destroyed by Rome and Jews were banned from the city and the surrounding area?

Well I had never thought much about it till this question kept poking at me – and caused me to choose this to write about for my first church history paper.

I learned a lot of stuff I had never even been curious about. The person of James – as one author says – he may have been more concerned with purity than his older brother.
And I wonder what would have happened if Paul hadn’t fought so hard for freedom from the Torah law for the Gentiles.

History is very interesting as one starts to dig around.

This morning I decided to attend one of the two churches in town. I suspect the are both fairly similar in their theologies but the one I went to is the more “laid back” I guess. The group calls itself “The Gathering” and there were probably 300+ people worshiping this morning. I may have been almost the most senior of the group. It was OK as far as a service went. The music was OK – most of the songs were familiar. The leader did go overboard a bit on her lyrical additions but I guess it wasn’t too much.
I sat by myself. After awhile a young woman and her child joined me and I didn’t feel quite so much by myself. But i did feel as if I would love to have someone notice that I was new, ask me my name, speak to me, welcome me, something. I guess with all the new students maybe there were just too many of us newcomers.
Lessons learned – never ignore a visitor. They may need to feel less alone.
So, I will see if this place is where I fit. I wish I could find someplace welcoming, with just enough liturgy to help me feel the richness of life in the body. Not stuffy but connected to the church universal in a significant way.