No brag… just fact

I know that pride is a sin, and it IS Lent, but I can’t help but be more than a little proud of the work done by our Spiritual Development Team.  You may remember that last year, they treated our Presbytery meeting with an experience of group Le…

Discussing “Community”

A brief update on the book discussion for Peter Block’s “Community:  The Structure of Belonging.”  (see post from November 24, 2010).  You are invited (along with anyone YOU wish to invite) to come to the Presbytery office on Groun…

Theology Anyone?

I’ve been pondering some things lately, and this snowy, shut-in day finally allows me the opportunity to do some writing about it. Two comments have been on my mind:  Comment #1:  At our September Presbytery gathering, Rev. Mickey Shealy commented …

From the Margin to the Center (a meditative midrash on the nativity stories in the gospels of Matt and Luke)

It all began simply enough:  Boy meets girl… girl and boy become engaged.  Mary was betrothed to Joseph:  betrothal is a covenantal arrangement in which a couple are promised to one another in marriage.  As customary in first century Palestine, o…

Light in Darkness

One of my favorite Advent/Christmas scriptures is John 1:5 “…the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.”  Anyone who has experienced the extreme darkness of Mammoth Caves knows what a hope-filled image this is, for e…

A Grace-filled Experience and an Intriguing Book

Several weeks ago, I had the opportunity to attend a gathering/conference in Philadelphia.  One of the reasons that I went is that it was being held at Broad Street Ministries, which is housed in the building of a congregation that was closed during m…

A Progressive Thanksgiving, Part 3

Well, yesterday was simply PACKED FULL of joyous events.  The day began (for me) at the multi-cultural service of Thanksgiving at Ray Thomas Memorial/Bethany Presbyterian Churches.  Worship and praise were shared in four languages:  Portuguese, Span…

A Progressive Thanksgiving, Part 2

On Sunday the 14th of November, Marietta First Presbyterian Church celebrated their 175th anniversary with a day of worship, music, food and thanksgiving to God.   Psalm 78:3-4 provided the theme for the day:  “What we have heard and known, wh…

A Progressive Feast of Thanksgiving

They say that the most babies are born in August, but apparently more than a few church births happen in the autumn.  Over the next month, we will have three occasions to give special thanks to God — a three-part, progressive celebration of Than…

The Spiritual Disicpline of Body Work

Let’s be clear from the start… I’m an introvert. I enjoy (some might say even say I crave) solitude… time alone to pray, think and mull.  Therefore, the community nature of the Body of Christ can be a stretch for me… in a “spiritual discip…

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