The evolution of plants and animals on earth has been described as a process of natural selection over millions of years. The theory is that small genetic changes happen all the time (as we see in the new variants of the Coronavirus), and the changes that improve a plant or animal’s chance to survive win […]
Jesus chose his twelve disciples very carefully, making sure they had the right pedigree and college degrees. Not! They were a bunch of nobodies, at best. They included a few smelly fishermen, an anti-government activist and a tax collector. Maybe the least likely of them was the tax collector, a young man named Matthew. Guys […]
ABC’s Intergenerational Partnership: that’s what we’re calling one of our church’s four “growing edges” as we move into our post-COVID future. We’ve long recognized the gradual aging of our congregation and the diminishing numbers of young people among us. This was confirmed by our strategic planning self-study in 2015. In an attempt to change this […]
As psychologists reflect on the world’s worst pandemic in over a hundred years, more and more scholarly articles are being published discussing its effects in terms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.* During the past two years, people have described many difficult experiences, including loss of loved ones, long-term grief, loneliness, lack of physical contact, job insecurity, […]
In the Biblical story about Adam and Eve, we read in the traditional King James Version that they “heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day” (Genesis 3:8). In the Revised Standard Version, the last phrase reads, “at the time of the evening breeze.” Both translations […]
Juneteenth is now circled on everybody’s calendar — another day off from work! Freedom! Of course, that’s not the kind of freedom we’re celebrating. It’s the emancipation of American slaves as part of the Civil War struggle in our Nation. The Union victory meant a radical change for most Americans, but especially those of African […]
Most new parents say No. According to on-line baby-name sites, Ichabod was the 54,629th most popular baby name in the USA in 2018, with the estimated number listed at zero. One reason given is that it just sounds funny. On the school playground, a kid with this name is for sure going to be called […]
Somebody left this cool jar of mixed nuts by the coffee machine outside of my office. Thanks to them, one of my worst life choices was exposed: I always pick out the cashews. I mean, they’re the only nut species worth chewing on, aren’t they? I shared this with some of my friends, and most […]
This is my car. It was made in 2003, and it has over 130,000 miles on it. I inherited it a few years ago from my granddaughter, since I always get to drive the oldest and junkiest car in our extended family. It’s served me well never needing any major repairs, so I intend to […]
The Good Samaritan is one of the most memorable parables told by Jesus (Luke 10:25-37). It’s the story of a man who had been brutally beaten by thieves and left for dead along a roadside. Two “good people,” a Priest and a Levite, avoided walking close to his battered body so they wouldn’t have to […]