It is a temptation that every human has, to think about and talk about “those people.” “Those people” are anybody we want to group together and judge: “Well that’s just what those people are like. You know how those people act. Everything would be fine if it weren’t for those people.” When we hear of something bad that a person(s) has done, our minds are quick to group together and judge all the other people who are in that same group. It can be done for any grouping……. [click on View Post above to continue reading]

“What is our world coming to?” A good friend of mine asked that over the weekend as we talked about recent events. Maybe you’ve asked that yourself lately. It’s a good question. We’ll get back to it in a minute. First let’s talk about what our world is and has been, before we consider what it’s coming to. It’s easy to see tough stories on the news from other towns, other states, or other countries, and then go back to the regular routine of our lives. It is a fortunate privilege to have a regular routine when people elsewhere face daily challenges. So we sometimes hear the news, feel bad, maybe say a prayer, and hope things work out for them. Then we go back to our lives and don’t think about it much. But……. [click on View Post above to continue reading]

The beginning of Ecclesiastes 3 is a beautiful poetic text that speaks to the full range of the human experience—the good and bad, life and death, laughing and crying. It reminds us that life does not stay the same season forever—every season changes. This passage speaks to those of us who are struggling with—or breaking under the weight of—anxiety right now. Breathe deeply. This too shall pass…… [Click View Post above to keep reading]