It started two weeks in advance and escalated all the way to Super Bowl Sunday. It began again early on Sunday and continued right up to game time, resuming during half-time. It seemed that every former player, coach and want-a-be was sharing Super Bowl opinions, theories, observations – on talk show panels, in interviews, and…
“What one generation tolerates, the next generation will embrace.” So said John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement. Years later, a sociologist enlarged the statement by saying, “What one generation despises, the next generation tolerates, and the third generation accepts as the norm.” Without citing illustrations, of which there are many, let me just…
It was one of those Saturday nights. The events of the week had created a scenario wherein my body was too tired and weak to sleep. Nor was my mind in very good shape either. I tossed and I turned but I did not sleep. To make matters worse, I had to preach twice the…
Southern Baptist trained, he obviously did not fit in as pastor of a Southern Baptist church, so in 1955 he went independent, maintaining the name “Baptist” since it provided some sense of credibility and acceptance in his conservative city. However, the “church”, consisting of mostly members of the pastor’s large family, is not affiliated with…
Funerals were held for two men last week. One was a common man, who for many years worked with children at his church on Sundays and assisted with the meal on Wednesday evenings. The other was a well-known dignitary, a public servant, a man of great prestige. Mr. Harold, as he was affectionately known, had…
Long ago I stopped making New Year’s resolutions, serious ones at least. Then two years ago, my teenage granddaughter challenged me to “get with it and get on Facebook.” I saw little value in some toy created by a Harvard Sophomore, but I agreed to do so as a New Year’s resolution. I had also…
The key to happiness among religious people is close friendships with fellow church-goers. That was the conclusion of a recent study led by a professor from the University of Wisconsin and a researcher from Harvard University and released in the recent issue of the “American Sociological Review.” I never cease to be amazed at how…
The web site was entitled, “Top Five Christmas Gifts 2010.” Being a sucker for top ten and top five type lists, I quickly opened the site only to discover that it listed sixteen items and then asked me to vote on which five I wanted. I quickly ruled out the wedding dress, women’s jewelry, the…
In his attempt to convince the graduates that there was more to life than attaining an academic degree the commencement speaker quoted a tombstone inscription, “Here lies Flow. G.P.A. 4.0.” After congratulating the graduates with high Grade Point Averages, the speaker shared how tragic it would be to get to the end of life with…
It was in a tiny church in a tiny German town. Thirty-five tourists happened upon a small group of German Christians rehearsing their Christmas music. Seated on hard wood pews, in a chapel that seated maybe fifty worshippers, we listened, few of us understanding the words, but all of us recognizing the tunes. Christmas tunes…