“Stop grumbling among yourselves.” —Jesus, John 6:43 I was told in Preaching and Worship courses in seminary that there will be times when there’s really nothing to add to what we’ve just read. Anything we say will only muddy the clear…

“Give thanks for unknown blessings already on their way.” — Native American tradition How might you do what this wisdom suggests? Shift your gaze from what was. Look beyond what is. Focus forward. Give thanks. Breathe.

We thank thee for this food for health, strength, and all things good.  May others all these blessings share, and hearts be grateful everywhere. I thank you God for most this amazing day; for the leaping greenly spirits of trees and a…

My friend Hannah Vidakovich shares these great words from her favorite Josh Groban song  — “We pray for what we know can be, And on this day we hope for what we still can’t see. It’s up to us to…

Mel Lawrenz wrote this, and it’s too good not to share — Dear God, You have invited us to give you thanks, and this is what we wish to do. We are living in a time of great anxiety, but you…

 “Sending rockets into Israel is as unacceptable as bombing Gaza.” — Thomas Kemper (see link below) Out of respect for our diversity, I normally I stay away from politics here. Out of respect for our shared interests, I’m making an…

There’s an old hymn that goes, “Guide me, O Thou Great Jehovah, pilgrim through this barren land.”  That 2nd phrase was changed at some point to be more positive: “Guide me, O Thou Great Jehovah, pilgrim through this bounteous land.”…

Let’s pick up where we left off yesterday with Johanne, who lives in Haiti and said, “Mostly, we need food, water and shelter.” My friend Steve asked if that isn’t true for all of us, and he’s right: “Mostly, we need food, water and shelter.” I take a sip of…

Hurricane Sandy is only one of the most recent ones. The media moves on to the next one, but the people impacted by the disastrous events cannot. When Johanne of Haiti was asked what would be most helpful, this was…

Craig Wise is a hero of mine. He’s retiring after wildly successful decades in a career he’s enjoyed. But he’s not giving up something he loves even more: being a football referee and baseball official. And here’s why he’s so…