Blog

“Chickens Come Home to Roost”

Growing up in rural Wisconsin exposed me to ubiquitous farming-based idioms, such as “Chickens come home to roost.” While it was common...

"Remembering Alex"

My education about the First People began in 1970, during my first year in the U.S. A new kid arrived a few weeks after school started,...

“World Communion Sunday”

World Communion Sunday started in 1933 to promote Christian unity and ecumenical cooperation at the Shadyside Presbyterian Church in New...

“Fixing the Border Problem”

Every day, politicians demand that the government “fix” the border problem. We already know that the “45th mistake”, aka former...

“Peace”

We are in week three of the Season of Peace, and this Sunday’s focus is peace and peacemaking. While the word “peace” is often used in...

“Where is God?”

A spiritual exercise that has helped me over the years was reflecting on where and how God is working in the world. Usually, at the end...

"The Real Labor Day Story"

This is Labor Day weekend. Most of us enjoy the day off on Monday, but we don't think about the reason the day was created. While some...

"Social Progress and God's Kin-dom"

Life in the transition is not easy. The phrase, "three steps forward and two steps back," reflects the social context of our time. The...

“Fresh Expressions: FXs”

This past week, I spent three days at a pastors’ conference held by the CalPac Annual Conference of the UMC held in Palm Desert. Yes, it...

Lesson on Grace from Gout

For two weeks now, I have been limping because of gout. The first time it happened, I woke up with a painfully swollen right ankle. Of...

“Decline of the Christian Church”

Throughout history, the Christian Church’s importance in society rose and declined. In every culture, there has been a love-hate...

“Pope’s Penitence”

This week Pope Francis offered a sweeping apology to Indigenous people on their native land in Canada for the sins of the Church against...

Pentecost

“Resilience”

“Cultural Shift”