Category: Uncategorized
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The 11th Hour of the 11th Day of the 11th Month
The war to end all wars ended on 11/11/1918. With its end, Veteran’s Day was established. In response to the sacrifice of millions lost in the war, the Paris Peace Conference was convened in 1920 and the League of Nations was born. The League of Nations remained in place for 26 years. After yet another
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Honoring Our Saints
On November 1st the Church will celebrate All Saint’s Day. Those saints are remembered, as they have generously bequeathed a legacy of endowed funds to the church that they love. However, I fear that we have taken these legacy gifts for granted by treating the endowed funds as merely a financial gift and the recurring
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Money Means Nothing
Recently I recalled a conversation I had several years ago with a man while attending a spiritual retreat. He was the same age as my dad and shared his same air of humility. I learned that he was a very successful real estate developer. He had experienced several recessions since the 1970’s, and nearly went
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Ode to Janet Johnson
We lost a dear friend last week. Janet Johnson was the wife of the late Rev. Dr. Lowell Johnson and a mother of 4 children and 6 grandchildren. Janet was a young 87-year-old in that she never stopped learning, sharing, and serving. Upon entering her home, you would see that her family and faith were
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Of Marriage Vows & Stewardship
A friend of mine got married last week in a United Methodist Church. It was especially touching for me because this weekend my Carol and I are celebrating our 40th anniversary. I emphasized being married within the church because of the covenantal relationship with Christ. While vows are exchanged in a civil ceremony, they are
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Back to School
Today my grandchildren head back to school, albeit with masks and hand sanitizer. I remember my first days of school. I think of the bus rides to and from school, the games at recess, a hot-lunch or a brown bagged lunch, blackboards that became greenboards – but always chalk, bells to mark time that always
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Consumer or Consumed
A pastor recently voiced a concern that I have had for some time. And, with our response to the Covid pandemic, it has only magnified this concern to a loud alarm. For years I have agreed with church leaders who warned us baby boomers not to “sell” ministries and programs to prospective members. The typical
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Beyond Words
This week I have had several times to pray for Haiti and Afghanistan. The thoughts of another earthquake – how much can the people of Haiti take, of the future of women of all ages in Afghanistan, and of the world still dealing with Covid left me drained and dry of words. “Likewise the Spirit
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If I Were 21
While on vacation I visited an old bookstore. I say visited because to me used books are more like old friends. I found a small book, written in 1918, by Dr. Frank Crane, a Methodist minister and author. The title of this 42-page gem is simply “21.” Each of the ten chapters begin with, “If
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Boilerplate Language
Many legal and financial documents contain what is referred to as boilerplate language. These are time tested and accepted phrases, often in small print, that are used in contracts and proposals. Sometimes this boilerplate language protects one party’s interest against a lawsuit. Other times, boilerplate language provides background or window dressing for a sales proposal.