Story about sun exposure – how it takes effort and paying attention to keep yourself safe. If you aren’t focusing on the task at hand… at the goal – you will lose sight of what is important. This morning we heard the familiar story of Samson and Delilah – of a man who was tempted…
what to do when your faith is shaken
On a television show like “Bones,” faith and reason, science and religion, seem to be inevitably at odds. That is part of the beauty of the chemistry between Booth and Brennan – this dynamic interplay reminds me that just because something appears to be contrary doesn’t mean it has nothing in common. While there could…
Why a family vacation is not a sabbatical
This past week I was able to spend 8 glorious days at Lake Okoboji in a teeny tiny little house with my in-laws. 9 people shared the two bedrooms, one bathroom, and living space. We got some sun, we played in the water, we laughed and ate a ton of food. And by the time we…
what it means to be a girl friend… and a pastor
This past weekend, I got to hang out with a ton of my friends from college. I felt almost like a completely different person while I was around them – even though I had a “pastor” hat on for a bit of the time. I had the honor and the privledge of marrying two of…
The Gift of Gentleness
What is meekness? Gentleness? The opposite of gentleness is seen in both of our readings today… First, from the book of Kings: 1. Elisha is a man of God and yet he is human… and in a moment of frustration and embarrassment, he lashes out at a group of young boys. 2. Is that part of…
Lost – the Oldest Game Ever Played?
In the second part of the pilot episode of ABC’s, Lost, we find John Locke sitting on the beach setting up a backgammon board. Young Walt walks up and wants to know what the game is and how to play. In his usual enigmatic way, Locke replies, holding up the black and white counters, “two…
the intersection of God and my remote control
I can’t deny that I am a fan of television. There is something about a 42 minute episode that pulls me in, wraps me its little nugget of truth, and then sets me free to think and ponder. It is the storytelling that does it. The way the larger arc of the narrative unfolds over a season…
The Gift of Goodness
We’ve heard of goody-two-shoes. Good riddance. Goodness gracious great balls of fire. And Goodbye. Things can taste good, we like to read good books and tell good stories. We tell our children to be good and to get good grades. But what does it really mean to be good? The Random House dictionary has 41…