I have a category of irritation that I call “electronic nagging”. Every day my phone indicates how much time I have spent on my phone on the previous day. I no longer take a print newspaper, as so much of my news coverage comes from various news sources on my phone. I am shocked every day at my amount of screen time. I know that my screen time is far lower than the average teenager, but it still seems high to me. I know that I have better coverage than a single newspaper could provide, but I am noticing how much this has become a part of my regular life. It was not that I made a conscious decision to spend more time on my phone. The amount of usage has just crept up on me. I know parents are concerned about how much screen time their teens consume. Many parents have strict rules about the amount of time spent with even a schedule for outside time or meal time with no phone. So how much screen time is appropriate for an old guy like me? It certainly is not the central issue of life, but it concerns me that this happened without me making a conscious decision. It makes me wonder…what other things in my life have crept up on me without me actually deciding about them? How about you?
08/31/2025
Yesterday, August 30th, was my birthday. I am now 80 years of age—four score, to use the older phrase. If I do not strike out in another 20 years, I will score 100. I don’t know that that is an attainable goal, but probably more likely than six score (120).
I think I am wiser than I was at twenty, and while I have the occasional aches and pains, I do not feel like I am eighty years old. I am still interested in what my next years going forward will bring. My mind is still active and I am learning new things every day.
I want to see what the next 10 to 20 year in our world will mean. Will we cure more diseases? Will we have colonies on other planets? Will wars come to an end? Will we conquer hunger in the world? Will we learn how to deal with the conflicts of life in meaningful ways? What new problems will we face, and will we be able to solve them? What will the world look like for my great grandchildren, if I have any?
But most of all, I want to see what new things the Creator God will do to show his continuing love for His creation and who He will use to accomplish that new work. Our future is in the hands of God, and I would love to be around to see it.
08/24/2025
Some time ago I noticed a cell phone app which as I remember was called “Make a List.” I guess that could be convenient, but I already have a pencil and a note pad. In my futile attempts to organize my life and work, I have read a number of books on how to organize and improve personal and work efficiency. Many of them have provided hints (now termed “hacks”) that have proven helpful. As I reflect on those books, I realize that when all the details are combined, they basically say, “Make a list.” My problem is that I end up with “to-do lists” with 30 items on them. The advice is to choose a few critical items to focus attention on.
The Bible has many valuable lists of what we should do to participate in the richness of the faith. One of my favorites is “Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” (Eight items is still a big list, but what a wonderful set of good things on which to focus. It is one of God’s great to-do lists and one doesn’t even need to pay or even have a cellphone to do it!)
08/17/2025
What do you do with an old set of encyclopedias? They were valuable when the kids were still growing up before the internet and Google. Now, if you want to know a factoid, you can ask “Siri”, and get an immediate answer, but what if you want more than a short answer? Maybe there is a podcast with more information or a video on PBS. However, even these are only 30 minutes to an hour and the answers are hardly encyclopedic. At some point, it seems likely that you would need to check magazines, journals, and books, even in the digital age. An additional problem is, can you trust what is on the internet to be factual, let alone unbiased. With something like World Book or Encyclopedia Brittanica, one knew that the writers had actual expertise in the areas about which they wrote. Now, even your Weird Uncle Harry who is convinced that the earth is flat and that the pictures of the moon landing were done on a Hollywood soundstage can post their “facts” on the internet. Uncle Harry may be passionate about his views but that doesn’t make him correct. In the end, we still have to sort out the wheat from the chaff. We need to apply the good brains God gave us.
“’Come let us reason together,’ says the Lord,” is still valid in this age.
08/10/2025
The Church in Corinth seems to have had a variety of problems. Among them was a division about former leadership. One group claimed to be followers of Apollos, another group claimed themselves to be the Paul group. It sounds like the way some identify with one or another former pastor. “It was better under Pastor Brown!” they intone with sad faces. In Corinth it was becoming a claim of who is attached to the better authority. So Paul writes, “What then is Apollos? What then is Paul? Servants through whom you came to believe as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither the one who plants or the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. The one who plants and the one who waters have a common purpose, and each will receive wages according to the labor of each. For we are God’s servants, working together; you are God’s field, God’s building.” (I Corinthians 3:5 – 9) All this is worth remembering as we go forward in the next months and years. We all work together for the good of God’s Kingdom. We all are servants/workers, but it is God who directs, guides, opens and closes doors, sees the future, and knows the path we should take. We are just called to be workers together.
08/03/2025
“Hope” is the thing with feathers -
That perches in the soul -
And sings the tune without the words -
And never stops - at all -
And sweetest - in the Gale - is heard -
And sore must be the storm -
That could abash the little Bird
That kept so many warm -
I’ve heard it in the chillest land -
And on the strangest Sea -
Yet - never - in Extremity,
It asked a crumb - of me. ~ Emily Dickinson
I think I can grasp the meaning of this engaging metaphor in the first two stanzas of Dickinson’s reflection on ”Hope”. The third verse is more challenging. It continues the analogy but I am less certain what she is saying about hope in this last stanza. Is it that hope makes no demand of us, not even effort to maintain hope or is it that she finds hope of small comfort when faced with extreme need?
What do you think she might mean? I know it makes me stop and think more deeply. How would you define or talk about hope in your experience?
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.