I felt like a stranger tonight. I sat in the pews. It was the first time since 1982 that I had not "worked" on Christmas eve either as the church musician or as the pastor. I went to the Christmas eve service where my husband attends, and where I had attended many years ago with our children before God did the strange thing of calling me to serve in the Lutheran church. … [Read more...] about I felt like a stranger tonight
2017
Witness to the Night Sky
The days and particularly their daylight hours have been full, so full in fact that I have done little writing this half year. Daylight is time for walking, running errands, meeting folks for coffee, moving books into my home study, yard work, visiting elderly parents. Meanwhile the northern hemisphere moves toward the shortest day of the year, so I make every daylight hour … [Read more...] about Witness to the Night Sky
Revisioning the Task
My village has become a bustling park today. Colorful kayaks and canoes are being carried into the Yellow Breeches for a day's floating adventure. Children hunt crayfish under rocks. Parents roast hot dogs. Black labs are swimming. A father explains to his son how the suspension construction of the pedestrian bridge works. Older folks sit together on benches under the … [Read more...] about Revisioning the Task
Irrelevance
I haven't written for a while, and one might well wonder if I have given up the blogging endeavor for good. After all, when posts slow down to a dribble, one's blog quickly becomes irrelevant as readers move on to other things. And that's exactly what I am pondering now---irrelevancy. Five weeks ago I announced to my congregation that I am retiring as of August … [Read more...] about Irrelevance
Holy Saturday
I love the silence of Holy Saturday. Only two more hours and it will slip in unnoticed by most. It is especially silent since this year we are not having a vigil, and I have a head cold and feel too lousy to drive an hour to be with my brother's congregation tomorrow night. I'll do well tomorrow to get a sermon done for Sunday's celebration; I suppose crafting words is not … [Read more...] about Holy Saturday