Bulletin

Bulletin This post becomes the home page on this site today. As of January 9, 2022, I no longer intend to post on this site, but I will leave the archived posts intact here for the foreseeable future.  Two simple facts led to this decision: (1) My books have not sold well, indicating that people …

December and January church assembly experiences

One Sunday evening just before Christmas, we were minding our own business, and we visited a new church.  This was a Church of Christ (my heritage), and there aren't too many of those around with any viability or draw.  We had chosen this one because it was in an area that offered a couple of …

Novena to “Saint Cecilia”

The following message was sent a few days ago by a party unknown to me.  Here, I have slightly adapted/abbreviated it, removing identifying factors since I don't have permission to share it.  I have not changed the order, essence, or import of the message. I think this word is worth considering.  Any reader may feel …

Musical theater as metaphor for “church”

Having been involved in two or three dozen musical theater shows, and having seen quite a few more, I suppose I’m experienced enough to have opinions. I’ll admit up-front that I don’t gravitate to musicals, and less so in recent years, although I feel affection and even admiration for a few shows.  For different reasons, …

More Mennonite musings

This always happens:  every time I visit with Mennonite group, my thoughts start firing.  I’m not sure why, other than that there are catalyzing historical, mental, and spiritual contexts. Here are links to the previous posts: A Few Minutes with some Mennonites More Mennonite Minutes Today, the thoughts were essentially in two categories, with emphasis …

More Mennonite minutes

While there are several other posts-in-progress, requiring more thought and revision, this one was written, edited, and posted on the same day. My personal church chronologue includes weekly 50-minute and 80-minute drives one way to church meetings (2003-2004 and 2008-2011).  Six years ago, I made my first 45-minute trek to the Church of God in …

It’s Sunday. What to do?

It's Sunday. "Go to meetin'" day. And I'm torn. Again. I'm out of pocket, and I have different options than the usual. Even the mention of options causes guilty pondering: the notion of "attending" the "church of your choice" was actually denigrated in my early years. This shallow yet well-meaning put-down was presumably scripted by …

Silly words

I'm not at all sure that this is the appropriate place to post what I'm about to say. I'm not sure it's appropriate to post it at all, but here it is: It seems OK to use a poetic metaphor to describe the passing from life of someone dear to you. It does not seem …

This weekend: distance

Today is "Good Friday."  I plan to be present with other believers tonight in a "Good Friday Service," but I don't know that I'll be fully present.  I have been thinking more of Kurios Jesus recently, but I also feel more guilt and distance.  My son and I have half-planned a resurrection-focused mini-devotional for this …

On principle: concession

Acute awareness of principles can be problematic.  Philosophies and common practices in church assemblies often force me to make concessions with respect to some of these principles—for example, meaning and content over style and hype integrity genuineness responsible treatment of scriptures non-hierarchical mindset 1.  First case in point:  practices around communion/eucharist/the "Lord's Supper."  A few …