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First, a reminder that our summer worship schedule begins this Sunday with services at 9:00 & 10:30 a.m. through Labor Day weekend. We return to our normal schedule September 10th. Second, there are still a few spaces left for our pilgrimage to Israel/Palestine in the latter half of October. Click here for detailed information and⦠Read More
This year I can’t resist joining the Hallmark marketing moment courtesy of fathers. Likely I’m motivated by grandfather-hood, and by observing how my daughter and son-in-law are managing the early parenthood years. (They’re doing great, btw.) I well remember receiving my firstborn at the age of 29 immediately following his debut into the world. Holding⦠Read More
It will be hard, I know. But you owe it to yourself, your well-being, and the well-being of those you love, too. I don’t know why it’s so hard, really, given the positive payoffs. It’s likened to stepping away from an addiction. I know what it means to fight the compulsive pull of the miserable⦠Read More
One response to our current national malaise has us throwing up our hands in frustration believing there’s nothing to be done to move our national program forward. Another has us finding our tribe on social media and ratcheting up the ranting in an echo chamber bubble. But a third response might be this: actually deciding⦠Read More
In 1905, Albert Schweitzer turned from his well-established and highly accomplished career in philosophy, music, and theology to medicine so that he could work in Africa on behalf of the Paris Missionary Society. Explaining his decision, he wrote, “For years I have been giving of myself in words;” he no longer wished to talk a⦠Read More
Seemingly, just in the knick of time, Holy Week will be our respite from national and world affairs. It arrives accompanied by images of poison-gassed children and a respondent tomahawk missile barrage, disconnected communications among world powers, and who-knows-what new developments by the time Easter comes ‘round. It occurs to me this messy, violent time provides⦠Read More
Competing for our attention this month from the chaos emanating from our nation’s capital, the N.C.A.A. national basketball championships, otherwise known as March Madness, offers comforting respite. All over television, sports pages, blogs, and social media, not to mention betting sites, these hyperized games open a window on the realm of youthful striving. Take South Carolina’s⦠Read More
Consider these statistics as recently reported by Frank Guan: “155 million Americans play video games, more than the number who voted in November’s presidential election. And they play them a lot: According to a variety of recent studies, more than 40 percent of Americans play at least three hours a week, 34 million play on⦠Read More
An article in today’s NY Times addresses the growing epidemic of addiction to modern digital products. Dr. Adam Alter explains that we used to think of addiction as mostly related to chemical substances like alcohol or cocaine. But today we have a growing phenomenon of behavioral addictions that in the case of technology, has people tethered to their⦠Read More
Close to 30 years ago, a number of city clergy got together representing the Abrahamic faiths (Muslim, Jewish, Christian) in response to an especially violent season. As I recall, among other tragedies catalyzing our meeting, another child was killed in a drive-by shooting. The relationship between cops and communities was raw, exacerbated by racial and⦠Read More