Year: 2016

We sat in a small group and talked about appointments and disappointments. When I have an appointment, someone has agreed to meet me at a certain time, or I've agreed to meet them. Disappointment is the difference between my expectations … Read more

I've been thinking of Valentine's Day and how the heart is a symbol of love. Our church has a breakfast on the first Monday of the month, and I usually try to have some kind of related treat if there is a special day in that month. And so, … Read more

I have an electric cooker (or stove) with a tough, translucent black glass surface to protect the cooker elements from the saucepans. When the electricity is turned off at the switch, the red glow fades, but the heat generated by the … Read more

Recently, I participated in a wonderful funeral service. That may sound weird, but it turned out to be a joyous celebration of a life lived well. The person concerned was a very gentle, humble, kind man, who touched the hearts and lives … Read more

From reading the Daily devotionals, I have come to the conclusion that some of the authors and probably a great number of the readers are people of advanced years. I am one of them. I have done a variety of tasks in the churches that we … Read more

Many of us grew up in religious traditions that did not participate in Ash Wednesday services. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the forty days of Lent. Roman Catholics, Episcopalians, Anglicans, Lutherans, Eastern Orthodox, and other … Read more

When someone talks about God, do you envision Him as an old man with a long white beard, looking down from heaven and surveying the earth and its inhabitants? Or do you see God as an invisible force, unattainable and unreachable? … Read more

I have sometimes been confronted with this accusation: "You only believe in God because your parents ground it into your head when you were young." The implication is that our parents taught us their beliefs, and we have quietly accepted … Read more

Sophie, my two-year-old retriever, is always finding things to pick up and chew on or eat during our daily walks. I, in turn, am always telling her to leave it, which she does for the moment. Once I am not looking, however, she does a … Read more

The dream seemed so real. Brilliant light flooded bright green trees and verdant grass. In the open air, a table covered with white linen stretched into eternity. Each place setting of fine bone china, crystal goblets, and shining, gold … Read more