We couldn’t help ourselves! When we practiced the anthem, we giggled. Valleys and corn stalks laughing, clapping and singing? You can listen to that portion of the anthem, if you wish. It starts at 3:30 in this recording. The lyric grows out of Psalm 65:13. One evening the pastor heard our snickering. Acknowledging the corny wording in the lyrics, he interrupted our singing with a little biblical exposition. He reflected how in a land arid and dusty, dreams of water, lush vegetation, and..
It is the 13,959th word in the Tale of Melibee. Some call it the longest, most boring of all the Canterbury Tales. After scanning 25 pages to find the word “contempt,”..
It is fitting that the scriptural lessons at the beginning of Advent are about gloom and doom. Prophecies about the need for change usually fall at this time of year as..
The calendar page turns to December. The tiny lights are twinkling in my neighborhood, Christmas carols are on the radio, and my heart yearns for the preparations of..
Our lives have been radically altered this year as we reflect upon gratitude and prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving. Community spreading of the coronavirus and..
November. Finally, it is post-election day. There’s a breath of Indian Summer in the air this week in Michigan, and my heart is lighter. I’ve made conscientious efforts..
So many ways to say thank you — a hug, a kiss, a handshake, a touch on the arm. Too personal, however, until this time of waiting out a pandemic ends.
Learning at a young age that my voice matters, I have been voting in elections since I was eighteen years old. Last night, I logged onto a website to track my absentee..
Changes Around Us We are fully into autumn, when shorter days make after-dinner walks less desirable. The cooler temperatures are slowly descending to the point when..
One of the things I miss during this pandemic season is small talk. You know, the conversation with colleagues as you walk up a flight of stairs on the way to the same..
