Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is almost upon us and, like Halloween, there’s some excess baggage that comes with it. For one thing, there’s the blatant commercial aspect. I don’t just mean Black Friday, though I’m certainly not fund of such, but within the celebration of the Holiday itself, there’s the expectation now of consuming more than we need. Second helpings are expected! I…
Election Results
Today is Election Day. And I’m aware of all the rhetoric. I don’t mean campaign rhetoric about for whom to vote. I mean the rhetoric of getting out to vote. It’s your duty, you can’t complain if you don’t vote (that’s my favorite), don’t take it for granted, don’t let someone else pick for you. That’s all fine. You should vote and I hope you have. But there’s a hard…
Halloween – a Christian Holiday
Full disclosure: I love Halloween. Objectively, it’s a great holiday. What other day do fully grown adults get to play dress up without being police being involved? Well, there’s cosplay, but that’s a different article. Children get candy and mostly from people who they’ve never met. Nevermind the urban legends about tainted treats, getting free…
One thing on top of another
It’s been quite a week! I was officially installed as the pastor a week ago Sunday and in the following week, we lost two faithful, strong women in our church family. I’m reminded of the Gospel of Mark. Mark, of the four writers, is incredibly brief. Everything happens “immediately” after something else. The effect is a sort of rollercoaster where major events are…
“Punkins”
As fate would have it, we had a Pumpkin Patch at the church that I grew up in. Our youth group would get truck loads, unload, and sell these pumpkins. We’d earn money in our accounts and it would allow us to go on trips. So I have a pretty good idea of what we’re about to get into. In all likelihood, I will be in the back of the semi. At some point, a pumpkin stem will…
(Extra)ordinary
I have noticed a certain resentment for the common place or the ordinary. We tend to mark it as mundane or merely normal (as if being normal were wrong). People want to stand out and have exceptional experiences. We want to see the best concerts, we want the table with the best view, we want a coach who will take us to the championship! Who cares if you win 10 games a…
Need a Charge
My dad gave us a couple of flashlights that don’t have a replaceable battery. You pull a little crank out and turn it a couple dozen times and it charges up the little battery and you can switch on the light. I like it because I’m cheap and I don’t have to buy batteries. But I also like the ritual of cranking the thing and charging it. I’m weird. And I promise that story…
The Magic of More
The dangers of looking back
There’s a meme or two floating around different social media sites that’s sort of capitalizing on the kids of the 90s. They vary a little, but they usually note that “there’s a Clinton running for President, the world is freaking out about Pokémon, and MTV is playing music again; what year is it?!” It’s a nostalgia thing. The kids who grew up in the 90s (my age group) are…
Pulpit Politics
Despite all my prayers for deliverance, it’s political season. I have a complex relationship with politics. I have very definite political opinions and views and I’m passionate about them because I think they matter. Our political views shape how life happens in our world, and not just for me but for my family, my friends, and people living a thousand miles…