The Soul Matters theme for April is wholeness. “Our understanding of “whole” comes through the old Germanic and Norse languages: hal, haila which give the sense of entire, unhurt, safe; healthy, sound; genuine, straightforward, undamaged, complete. Our word for health has similar roots.” The theme doesn’t stop with the word. The materials pose the idea […]

I jotted down a few notes for this column on Christmas Day. It was a slow morning and I had time to reflect in the afterglow of Christmas Eve. The sanctuary had been packed and alive with the energy of the evening. There were members and visitors and guests. There were extended families. In the […]

This month’s theme is a good one for beginning a New Year: Possibility. What does it mean to be a people of possibility? What does it mean for this to be a year of possibility?  The Soul Matters introduction makes the point that the notion of possibility is central to our faith, our way of […]

On the outside chance that you have just arrived from a long stay in another culture, I state the obvious: this year’s Holiday Season has begun. The pressure and emotions I feel and that I experience from people around me let me know that the rush is well under way. There are festivities and celebrations, large […]

My spirit feels heavy this morning with the violence and tragedy and ugliness of last week. As I sit here trying to hold that reality, I also remember and gently remind myself how I was uplifted and encouraged in our Sunday morning service and then in the afternoon vigil in Pack Square for the Tree […]

If Bill Elder’s past assessments are any predictor of future performance, I’m making a big mistake to write this in my out loud voice. Any time I mention straightening and organizing my office, Bill just looks at me, smiles and shakes his head. His unspoken thought comes through loud and clear: yeah, that ain’t happening. […]