Good News, Everyone! You know how St. John’s has had only one clergyperson since Deonna Neal left for Colorado Springs last May? You know how we’ve suffered without the dynamism and richness that comes from a team of clergy (instead of a one-priest-band)? You know how when I’m on vacation we need to import a […]

A few years ago I was riding my bike in Harrisburg, the state capital of the great Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The sky was overcast, but the weather forecast estimated the chance of rain at less than 20%. I’m not a gambling man, but I was happy to wager that I’d get back to the church […]

“Do you suffer from moderate to severe sin? This chronic condition occurs in 100% of the human race. You may be plagued by symptoms such as doing things you swore you would not do, saying things you were determined not to say,  leaving undone tasks you promised to do, holding your tongue when there was […]

I grew up with a dirty little secret. Actually, it was my grandmother’s dirty little secret, but I was complicit. Nanny, as we called her, has been dead now for thirty years, so she can’t sue me for telling your all about her guilty pleasure. So here goes. Cowboys. Yup. Cowboys. She loved them. When […]

One of the things I enjoyed most when I migrated to the US with my three children was the new pattern of holidays. We loved the winter because of Martin Luther King Day and President’s Day, neither of which they have in the UK. Then there was the summer. My kids couldn’t believe their good […]

For most of you who know me well, two of my most favorite things in life are celebrating (anything), and music (all types). I guess you could “celebrate music” as a double dip, and I most assuredly have double dipped tens of thousands of times. “Celebration”, by Kool and the Gang, and “I Just Want […]

The Gospel of Mark lesson regarding the offering of the poor widow seems to perfectly align with my life. I grew up going to church in Northern Indiana. I watched my parents struggle to give their offerings. I knew that giving was important but I did not understand why. As Ken and I were married, […]

In Mark 10 Jesus tells His disciples what the future holds for Him: suffering, humiliation and death. Immediately after, James and John come to Him and ask to sit one on His right hand and one on His left hand when He comes to glory. Jesus is angered by this request. Have they not understood […]

As I look around St. Johns today, much has changed since I was baptized here in 1957. Throughout my childhood and young adult life, I took for granted what St. Johns provided for me, my family, our church family, and our community. As I aged ( I prefer “seasoned”), I gained a deeper understanding of […]