07/27/2025

    Do you recall advertisements for products containing lanolin? It might have been for hand lotion or hair cream or some other product to soften and sooth the skin. It has been a long time since I have seen any mention of lanolin.  There still are products available using lanolin. Lanolin is also known as “wool grease”. It is the waxy substance secreted by sheep to protect their wool. It is prone to skin irritation in some people.

     Shepherds who daily handled sheep in early times noted that the wool grease soothed hands even in the harsh environment of sheep herding. Gentle hands and soft voices do not startle skittish sheep.

    Perhaps, this provided part of the impetus for the Twenty-third Psalm. The image of God as the Gentle Shepherd guiding, soothing, and defending the sheep continues to inspire people in a world with little exposure to the day-by-day life of shepherds and sheep. Being compared to sheep, those wooly-headed wanderers, is hardly a compliment, but the picture of a caring shepherd still rings true even in a largely non- agricultural civilization.

    “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want,” still strengthens those of us who walk through dark valleys, when we trust the Great Shepherd of the sheep.

07/20/2025

I was camping in the Rocky Mountains in northern Utah. It was after dark and I was in a tent when I heard a lonely howl followed  by short yips. As a teenager, my first thought was that there was a wolf nearby. (Thank you, all those scary were wolf movies--not!) I later learned that the call was a coyote, and that I was in little or no danger.  With the rare exception of a rabid animal, coyotes traditionally stay away from humans. They can be a danger to small pets and small children. At one time, they were found mainly in the southwest of the United States, but are now in all parts of Americas from Alaska to the Panama Canal. One estimate puts their population at 10,000,000. They are very adaptable animals and can be found in forest, prairie, suburban, and urban areas. They have become a bit of a pest. Unfortunately, they are not easy to eliminate. When in proper population, they serve a vital ecological function and make with cubs are stable with only the dominant female reproducing. If the dominant female is shot, the remaining females scatter, find mates, and reproduce, so controlling the population by hunting doesn’t work. Another example of God’s amazing creatures that serve God’s purpose, unless we mess things up and then things go out of control!

07/13/2025

    The owner of our condo village brought in a pair of swans to discourage the Canada geese from living in the little lake on the property. (My apologies to Minnesota, the Land of 10,000 Lakes, for calling our little pond a “lake”.) The swans did not prove to be a total solution. The swans, the geese, and the ducks regularly hold a convention in my yard. They are a beautiful sight swimming on the lake. I am happy to announce that the swan pair are the proud parents of five cute little cygnets (baby swans). The five still have their fluffy white down and short little necks. They are already able to swim and fend for themselves a little bit, but they will be closely watched by momma and daddy swans as they develop. We neighbors will be watching, too. The swans first clutch of eggs were destroyed perhaps by a fox, so it is delightful to see these hatchlings doing so well.  The instinct to reproduce was built in by the Creator. For swans and humans, the forming of a family group also seems to be placed there by the Creator. While we are different species, it is interesting to see those areas that we have in common. We are part of the animal kingdom.

     There is a story that St. Francis of Assisi once preached a sermon to the birds. When I watch the beautiful swan family glide smoothly across the lake, the St. Francis story seems less strange. Maybe the beauty of these magnificent creatures is a kind of offering of praise to the Creator of all living things.

07/06/2025

I think of myself as patriotic. I love my country, and having lived elsewhere for three years in a country I enjoyed, I would still choose the United States of America. Even when I disagree with certain laws and policies I still love my country. It is more like a lovers’ quarrel than a war. Part of what I love about our country is our willingness to disagree and still live together agreeably. Currently that seems in short supply. In a marriage, for example, when the argument descends to “who gets to decide”, the battle is lost for both parties.

     As an eighteen year old, I registered as a non-combatant. I simply believed that Jesus didn’t want me to shoot anybody and I was glad my country allowed me that choice. It was part of what American freedom meant, as I saw it. Later, I realized that the situations of life were more complicated than my simple reasoning had considered.

     I have never stopped loving my country and I often put my hand over my heart and sing our war-torn national anthem, even trying to hit the high notes, but I also sing America the Beautiful with special emphasis on “…America! America! God mend thine every flaw…” So I feel free to celebrate July 4th with gladness.

06/29/2025

     While I was still in high school, the VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars) sponsored a contest for high schoolers to write essays on the theme “What Freedom Means to Me”. As I remember, there was a trophy for the first three places but no prize money. I can’t remember what I wrote and did not save a copy. I was pleased to place third, until I found out there were only three entries. I still have the trophy somewhere as a memento of how fleeting a bit of glory can be. 

     I am not sure what I would write today in response the theme “What Freedom Means to Me”. I hope it would be more mature and nuanced than my teenage ramblings. I reject some views of freedom. I do not think that freedom means getting to do whatever I want, nor does it mean having no responsibility. It doesn’t mean having no moral compass. It doesn’t mean being out of control. It certainly is multi-faceted.

    I’m sure for the VFW essay judges it meant political freedom and that certainly is one aspect of freedom. It is also freedom of religion, freedom from want, freedom from oppression, freedom from disease, and many other freedoms. I hardly can decide where to begin, but I am fascinated by the old negro spiritual lyrics: “And before I’d be a slave, I’d be buried in my grave, and go home to my Lord and be free!”

06/22/2025

Water is one of the most necessary elements for life as we know it. Human beings are in trouble physically within three days with no water. Other creatures may be able to last longer but ultimately all creatures need water in some form.

     We are a water rich world, but the water is not always where it is needed or may be too salty or polluted for use. Groups like Heifer International have programs to help drill wells in areas of particular need. Even in the United States, there are places of water crisis for cities and farms. We may, in the future, have to better figure out how to manage the water supply for the benefit of all.

     I know that I am personally not as careful as I might be to avoid wasting water. I know that I could find better methods of conservation.

     We get some sense of the significance of water in the story of Jesus and the woman at the well. Her need of physical water becomes the occasion for Jesus to use water as a metaphor for spiritual life. Jesus said, “…those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I give will become to them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.” (John 4:14)

06/15/2025

     I think I was still in High School when I realized that my father and my brother saw the world from different perspectives. It centered around a tennis racket. My brother was just starting playing tennis and needed his own tennis racket. Dad found the cheapest racket and was prepared to buy it. My brother wanted a professional-level tennis racket which was much more expensive.

      They both had reasons for their choices. My dad thought a cheap racket would be fine for a beginner and would be a small loss if his interest waned. My brother argued that he would learn to play better with better equipment and that would keep his interest high. Both points of view had some validity, but what fascinated me was how differently each point of view demonstrated their individual perspective.

     It appeared to me that this conflict was reflective of other decisions in each of their lives. My dad was a conservative decision-maker although he was capable of calculated risks. My brother was a risk taker but not in all areas of life, and could be persuaded to measure the risk and curb his impulses.

     Are you at all interested in how they solved this conflict? How would you have solved it as a parent or as a young person? Can you think of a compromise?

06/08/2025

I collect recipes. I have some passed down from family members on 3”x5” cards. They are those family favorites that every family has in their collection. A few years ago, I discovered an internet app called “Paprika”, which allows recipes to be stored online. It has access to other recipe sites like Tast of Home and Gourmet magazines, famous chefs and cooks like Nigella Lawson, Gordon Ramsey, Paula Dean, and many others, as well as TV shows like America’s Test Kitchen and The Kitchen. It is possible to find almost any recipe imaginable and download it to the app. I now have amassed a collection which I could not make in three lifetimes.

    The closest we come to a recipe in scripture is the list of items included in Passover, but there are lots of references to food, drink, and eating. When Esau comes in from a fruitless hunt, he is captivated by the smell of red beans cooking. My fantasy sees this as an early example of chili (unless you come from Texas where no beans are included). Love Feast and communion give us other continuing examples. Food becomes an occasion for celebration, fellowship, even worship and spiritual insight, especially from Jesus as the spiritual Bread of Life.

06/01/2025

“Whether I live or die, whether I wake or sleep, whether upon the land or on the stormy deep; When ‘tis serene and calm or when the wild winds blow, I shall not be afraid.  I am the Lord’s, I know . . .

        Nothing shall separate from His unbounded love, neither in depths below nor in the heights above; And in the years to come, He will abide with me; I am the Lord’s, I know, for all eternity.”

So read two of the verses from Charles W. Naylor’s hymn, I Am the Lord’s, I Know with music by D. Otis Teasley. Based on Romans 8:35 – 39, the gentle melody brings a comforting peace to both the singer and the hearer. We are reminded of the continuing care of God for us. We cannot be separated by any external force or circumstance from God’s inexhaustible love for us in Jesus Christ our Lord. Whether we have much or little, whether we are accepted or rejected by the world around us, whether we feel high or low emotionally, we know that we belong to the Lord and we know He will love and care for us now and for eternity. I am the Lord’s, I know.

05/25/2025

    First read the directions is a common sense admonition. So often we have proven the wisdom of the counsel when we did not follow it.  Not all instruction sheets are very well-written. It is a real skill to write clear and complete instructions. Experienced workers can leave out an “obvious” step because they are so used to the process. We first-timers may not find the missing step at all obvious. Words may have differing meanings. We may find a recipe which ends with the line, “cook until done.” The beginner finds such instruction frustrating, at best.

    For the growing Christian, reading the instructions in the Bible can save a multitude of mistakes. Generally the Bible’s directions are clear even if we don’t want to obey them, but some do require us to think through their meaning. Scripture says, “What does the Lord require of you: to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”  The direction is quite clear but we may well spend a lifetime working out the details of such commands. We must not only do what this verse instructs but must always stay open to its ever-evolving meanings.

05/18/2025

Every so often, I get the urge to read a western novel. This started when I was a youngster reading Zane Grey’s novels like “Riders of the Purple Sage”. Over the years, I have read many other westerns by a variety of authors. Many of the plots are interchangeable and rely on standardized stereotypes.  The bad guys are clear and obvious. There is the gunfight, the unexpected romance. Some of that has changed through the years. Older westerns seemed always to have a resolution and even a happy ending. Modern westerns can be a bit more raw and the ending may not be very positive. Perhaps this reflects some of the confusion of modern life. In our world the villains do not wear black hats to contrast the white hats of the good guys. It is more difficult to identify who is who. Easy solutions and happy endings often seem to be in short supply. However, now as always it is their actions, moral and immoral, that best show us who are the good and who are not. It is still difficult to figure out. Probably it always has been and the standard western was more optimistic than realistic. Still in the end as Jesus said, “By their fruit you shall know them.” Still good guidance even in our confusing world.

05/11/2025

Are you too important to take a day off or a vacation? There was a time in my life when I thought I should be working all the time. In college I often took the maximum number of hours each semester that the school allowed, plus was involved in all manner of other activities. It took me many years to learn that was not what God required.

I was finally instructed by the Old Testament (Hebrew Bible) that God “rested” on the seventh period of creation, and commanded his people to rest on the seventh day, as well. The command was for their well-being-- physically, mentally, spiritually, and socially. It was not just for God’s people but for their whole society. In addition, God prescribed a series of festival observances during the year as more extended times outside of work. I learned that if I was to do my best work I needed time to think and process, not just flail away at my work.

 Good sermons require time for thought and reflection. Good decisions require time to think through the impact of those decisions.. The old idioms had it -- “Decide in haste, repent at leisure.” As usual, God’s way always turns out better than our hasty way.

05/04/2025

“Dear Lord, take up the tangled strands where we have wrought in vain, that by the skill of Thy dear hands some beauty may remain.  Transformed by grace divine. The glory shall be Thine; to Thy most holy will, O Lord, we now our all resign.”

This is the first verse of a hymn by Mrs. F. G. Burroughs. It captures the wonderful power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to transform the lives of human beings…a power which continues to operate even to the present day.

It happened to Mary Magdalene, and to the Apostle Paul, to Teresa of Avila, to Martin Luther, to John Knox and John Wesley. It happened to Fanny Crosby and Mother Teresa of Calcutta…to famous and unknown people down through the centuries. It is still happening today. It has happened to people sitting at the other end of the pew from us and to people from the far reaches of the world. It has happened to young people and aged adults. It will continue to happen even when present generations have passed from the scene.

It is the transforming power of God’s love.  It will never end!

04/27/2025

A photograph or a painting is two-dimensional, while a sculpture is three-dimensional. Time is often described as the fourth dimension. We can see the first three dimensions but we have real difficulty in seeing time. We notice its results but we don’t really perceive it. This is especially difficult for children. Until about 9 or 10, children have little concept of time.  They may be able to recite the numbers on a digital clock or the position of the hands on a clock face, but they do not have an inner understanding of the meaning of time. 

God, we believe, can see time, but our human view is much more limited. Scientists postulate that there may be other dimensions beyond space and time but we can only imagine them. Perhaps heaven is another dimension beyond our understanding. There is so much that we do not know. We do know that there are sounds too high and too low for us to hear. Even our sight is limited with some forms of light that we can’t see with the naked eye.

04/20/2025

A pastor friend of mine had a mini crisis when he faced his first Easter as a minister in Minnesota. In his previous church, he had always used the coming of spring as a metaphor for Easter. A Minnesota Holy Week snowstorm necessitated a change of metaphor. The glory of a snow-covered Easter landscape did not have the same cachet as a flowery spring landscape. He and Easter both survived and celebrated the resurrection and new life effectively. While Easter is far more than the rebirth of the seasons, I have always found that the re-emerging of spring brings Easter to my mind. The brave first flowers emerging from their tomb-like bulbs into colorful life, the sudden surprise green of the new leaves, the bright green grass displacing the brown of winter, all speak to me of new beginnings. Even in the snowy cold of a Minnesota Easter, the glory of Easter shines forth for me with the power of a new beginning, new hope, a new life in the power of the resurrection. “Christ the Lord is risen today!” “He is risen indeed!”

04/13/2025

While my daughters were in the Anderson Highland Band, we spent every 4th of July in Chesterfield watching our daughters march in the 4th of July parade. They wore their Highland wool kilts and heavy wool jackets. I never saw any of the band members faint, but Indiana in July has weather totally unsuited to woolen garments. Often by the end their faces were bright red from the heat. Even so, they loved marching in the parade and we loved watching them. I love a parade any time. This is Palm Sunday with a parade Jesus set up, but the response was spontaneous. People spread branches and colorful garments on the path of Jesus and the donkey. There were cheers and chants: “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna to the Son of David.” The followers of Jesus were ecstatic over the reception which Jesus received. There were, of course, detractors who wished to stamp out the pageantry and silence the enthusiastic voices. But Jesus accepted the idolization and proclaimed to the nay Sayers, “If these were silent, the very rocks would cry out!” Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!

04/06/2025

     A few days ago, I found a bargain. I was at Trader Joe’s grocery store. White eggs were over seven dollars a dozen, but brown eggs were $3.49 a dozen (limited to one dozen per customer). I jumped on that (not literally) even at that price, of course. Eggs are one of my favorite foods--soft boiled, fried, poached, scrambled--I like them all, except for the current cost. They are an ideal complete protein. They have even been revised nutritionally in regard to cholesterol dangers.

     This time of year I have such good memories of coloring eggs for Easter. It is a fond childhood recollection. I remember with delight decorating the eggs for Easter with my daughters. It felt like a rite of Spring. Eggs even have religious symbolism across many traditions. One of my students gave me an Easter egg with the white and yolk blown out and the shell decorated in the intricate Eastern Orthodox tradition. It is a fragile delicate thing, empty like the tomb of Jesus, a beautiful symbol of the resurrection. We hang it on the Christmas tree to remember Jesus’ birth, life, teaching, death, and  resurrection. It is another reminder of his continuing presence.

03/30/2025

Sometimes I carry in my pocket a Leatherman mini-tool. It is a handy little device which folds up to a one by two and a half inch package. Unfolded it has a 5 inch or 12 millimeter rule, a sturdy pair of pliers, a wrench, a flathead screwdriver, a can opener, a bottle opener, a file, and a knife. It even has a leather carry case with a belt loop. It is a rugged well-engineered tool. I am amazed at the multi-function design. There are also larger versions of the tool. It reminds me of a Boy Scout piece of equipment to fit the motto, “Be prepared”. I can’t say that I use it frequently, but when I need it I am glad that I have it.  With it, I feel a bit more ready to face the small emergencies of life. Christians have generally believed that Jesus will some day return to the earth and that it is part of our job to be ready when he returns.  Unfortunately, there is no handy little tool to make us ready. Perhaps it is what an earlier generation meant by “being prayed up”. At least it means being at peace with God and our fellow beings. It is about inner soul readiness that will welcome His return. “Maranatha, even so Lord Jesus, come!”

03/23/2025

Andrew Carnegie was a Scottish-American industrialist. His wealth came from the steel industry, but he was known for his great philanthropy. He donated to many different causes for the betterment of United States citizens. However, he was notably less generous as an employer. Human beings can be quite complicated with empathy in one area and lack of empathy in another. That being said, Carnegie had a profound effect on the nation through his gifts. The first time that as a child I encountered his name was his gifts to establish libraries in the U.S. As a child of limited means, the Carnegie library in our town seemed like finding a treasure chest. All these books which could be read at no cost! What a wonder that seemed--a gateway to both the real world and the imaginary one. The state with the most Carnegie libraries was Indiana. In addition to libraries in the U.S. there were over 1,200 scattered across the English-speaking world. The purpose of great wealth should always be to make the world a better place. So should it be for our small wealth. I wish that Andrew Carnegie was a flawless hero, but I do know that his gift of a small-town library benefited one little boy who loved to read and learn. So, thank you, Andrew Carnegie, for your gifts, especially to the young readers and learners.

03/16/2025

Were you bothered by the springtime switch to Daylight Savings Time? Many people are. Apparently the change can affect your mood and even your health. Statistics indicate that more heart attacks occur in the spring forward time change than in the surrounding days. More suicides occur in the same timeframe. Judges hand down more stringent sentences and all of us are more irritable than normal. In general it is a bad time to make major decisions. There are a cluster of cells in our brains that control our inner clock. These cells are triggered by morning light which sets our internal clocks. Artificial light can fool these cells and mess with our bodies. So, if you found Sunday and Monday at the time change exhausting, it was probably more than just missing one hour of sleep. Isn’t it amazing that simple light can have such a profound effect on our bodies and minds? Perhaps that is why the Bible so often uses light to talk about God and our relationship with him. In the Gospel of John, Jesus says, “I am the Light of the World”, and in Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus tells his disciples, “You are the light of the world.” So our job is to let that light shine all over the world. “This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine!”