   Our country is not what it used to be, and I think we are heading in the wrong direction in many ways. I was a minister for forty years, and I watched church attendance decline and young people abandon their faith; which is the trend all over America. Fewer people are getting married, […]
3243) A Sign of Hope Read More »
   American poet Emily Dickinson (pictured above) died on May 15, 1886 at the age of 55. She wrote over 1800 poems in her lifetime, but she published none of them. Seven were published anonymously before her death, probably without her permission. After Emily died, her sister Lavinia discovered dozens of handmade notebooks in
3233) Called Back Read More »
    A few days ago, Emailmeditation #3228 told the story of William and Wilhemina Kruse, South Dakota pioneers, who lost nine children to diphtheria in 1894. Upon reading it, my friend Tim emailed to tell me that the story was very personal for him. He sent me a brief account of his family faith history.Â
3232) “In Jesus’ Name” Read More »
    I read one time the true story of a college senior who sat alone in her room late one Saturday night, contemplating suicide. At just 22 years old, Patti was tired of life. She had already felt like she had tried everything, and was still sad and hopeless. She could not find happiness. She
3230) Ecclesiastes? Who Needs It? (1/2) Read More »
“Ya, I believe in change, all right. Let’s change everything back to how it used to be.” ************************** From a letter by C. S. Lewis to Mary Van Deusen (November 21, 1962), on the difficulties of moving and on the lessons we are taught by life’s many changes.  From The Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis,
3211) “Change? No, Thank You.” Read More »
   (…continued) In Martin Luther’s darkest days it seemed all he had to look forward to was failure, disgrace, capture, and execution.  In those dark days he said:  “It occurred to me that it has always been God’s way to create something out of nothing.  So if before God can do anything through me,
3163) Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust (2/2) Read More »
   “Ashes to ashes, dust to dust,” we say as we bury our dead.  Ashes and dust are two powerful Biblical images of our mortality.  And now, even as we look forward to Spring when everything comes to life, the church year brings us that same reminder of death– Ash Wednesday.  Worshipers go forward
3162) Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust (1/2) Read More »
From Peculiar Speech, by William Willimon, Eerdmans Publishing, 1992, pp. 14-15 (edited). —————————– Romans 6:3-8  —  Don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?  We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead
3123) A Hard Wallop Read More »
     I ran into someone the other day from out of town that I had not seen for a while. After agreeing that the weather was nice, and some more small talk, he said to me, “How is your dad doing?”      I replied, “He is doing great.Â
3122) Giving Death Only a Moment of Our Time Read More »
Above: The Road to Emmaus, 1877, Robert Zund, Swiss painter, (1826-1909) ———- Â Â Â Luke 24 tells the story of Jesus joining two men walking on the road to Emmaus, a little town about seven miles from Jerusalem. Â It was the afternoon of the day Jesus rose from the dead. Â These men had known Jesus,
3071) We Had Hoped… Read More »
