Month: October 1997

I stopped dead on the sidewalk, and did a double-take, staring into the bank window. Inside, a clown with a baggy costume and blue and pink hair was serving a customer. A second glance showed me that almost every employee … Read more

Years ago now while a student studying at Knox College, I shared a message What Fear do you Fear? and in it I was asking folk if they were afraid of things that go bump in the night – and … Read more

One of the children of the congregation used to have night terrors – dreams that would awake them drenched in sweat and shuddering in fear, yet unable to remember what silent terror stalked their unconscious in the darkness of the … Read more

Edward Munch, a late nineteenth century Norwegian artist, painted a disturbing picture, "The Scream". In it, a man, wide-eyed with fear, clamps his hands over his ears to shut out the scream that reverberates from his open mouth and echoes … Read more

I have a friend who had lived life flying by the seat of her pants. She recently had a massive heart attack, nearly dying. Angrily she complained to the doctor that she had done all he required of her and … Read more

As we flick the channel, nightmarish wreckage of mangled bodies assaults our senses. The news anchor person speaks of violent death. This time three suicide bombers have taken seven lives with them in Ben Jehuda Street – Jerusalem's seemingly safe, … Read more

Two worlds are represented in my household at this moment. They are as different as night and day. I took a moment to sit and share with my brother-in-residence that I had come to the end of my rope. It … Read more

One of the newest members of my congregation is Jeffrey Alexander. He is nine months old. You should know two things about him. One, he loves to cuddle, and second, he can sleep anywhere. He teaches me things about trust. … Read more

What is our greatest pleasure? The answer will tell us much about ourselves. The problem, however, is to narrow it down to one pleasure. Most of us have several pleasures that rank high. For me, to be part of a … Read more

These words are often used in worship, very appropriately, as a prayer by the minister before delivering a sermon. The request is made that the spoken words of the sermon and the silent thoughts of the whole congregation may be … Read more