Today is Ash Wednesday. For some this is a familiar spiritual practice. For others the question marks remain – why?  Totally to be expected. Not all churches have observed this day of repentance and the imposition of ashes. In my childhood and youth, the only symbols of this spiritual practice were those seen on the… Read More »

Imagine life in 1971 if you can. Cigarette advertising was permanently banned on television and radio Chemists at Berkeley announce the first synthetic production of a growth hormone The Baltimore Colts defeat the Dallas Cowboys NASDAQ established in New York City The Vietnam War continues Muhammad Ali loses to Joe Frazier in the “Fight of… Read More »

The Olympic Rings made their debut in 1913.  They are five interconnected, equal-size rings in the colors of blue, yellow, black, green, and red.  They symbolized the peoples of five continents working together celebrating sport.  What a wonderful image. It’s also an image of the world that is in favor with God’s desire for God’s… Read More »

Tomorrow is the 4th of July.  One of my favorite songs often sung during this period of reflection on America is the hymn “O Beautiful for Spacious Skies”.  I love how it invokes the landscape of our country, taking us out of our narrow spaces to something much bigger, something with possibilities. As I thought… Read More »

Eighty years ago on June 6th Allied forces set off from England for an invasion that would change the outcome of World War II.  We know it as D-Day.  It was a day of immense courage.  The success of the operation came at the cost of great loss. This coming weekend is Memorial Day, a… Read More »

It would be my guess that leadership in the Church did not factor in a young child’s fertile imagination when the term “Holy Ghost” became the designation of the third person of the Trinity. It never made a lot of sense to me as that child. Ghosts were for Halloween. Ghosts wore white sheets. Ghosts… Read More »

This coming Sunday is Mother’s Day.  Facebook and Instagram will be filled with sentimental pictures of mothers.  Some churches have special Mother Day services.   This is the origin story from the Encyclopedia Britannica:  Anna Jarvis of Philadelphia, whose mother had organized women’s groups to promote friendship and health, originated Mother’s Day. On May 12,… Read More »

“I Love a Parade” is a classic 1932 song introduced in the first show with Duke Ellington leading the band. John Philip Sousa’s marches are part of the tapestry of our patriotic celebrations. There is something about a parade. The Greenbelt Labor Day parade is the focus of attention every year, followed by friends gathering… Read More »