“Like One Of Us” When a new little one is born, families often play the game, “Who does this beloved child look like?” Maybe he has his daddy’s nose or his mommy’s eyes. One cousin sees the great grandmother in the furrowing of the brow and another claims to be sure that uncle is the…
We are back to Genesis this week. Last week, we began by considering the vastness of God’s creation. From beauty to wonder, we reveled in creation. As we move into the second chapter of Genesis, we find another account of creation. Not a contradictory account, but another account. Have you ever found yourself talking to…
Last weekend, I joined thousands of people who went to go see the movie, Wonder Woman in the theater. A story some will be familiar with from the comic books of yesteryear. The movie builds on what is known, as well as introduces answers to burning questions. Every good story hooks the reader with an…
I wonder if you have every heard this one: “Timmy was a little five-year-old boy that his Mom loved very much and being a worrier, she was concerned about him walking to school when he started Kindergarten. She walked him to school for the first couple of days, but when he came home one day,…
In junior high and high school, some of us might recall the fear-inducing task of deciding where to sit in the cafeteria for lunch and with whom. As any high school/coming of age/angst-filled movie suggests, this pivotal decision can give rise to twisted stomachs and evoke the fears of yesteryear of who will be our…
Moms are known for comforting their children. We think of overtired mom rocking the little one to sleep, maybe for the third time. We think of “there, there, little one.” That comes after a scrapped knew required a kiss and an extra hug. We think of the teenager who flops on the bed and “just…
About six weeks ago, I was driving with a colleague to a funeral about 3 hours away. The area where we were driving was vaguely familiar to both of us, but more familiar to my colleague. We both agreed that we would do best to use a GPS to guide us, even though we had…
I have a confession to make this morning. I struggle with Sabbath. Now, I try hard. I set aside time every Friday. Unless there is something that comes up. Unless there is something that needs my attention. Unless there is a big event to prepare for. Unless there is a life event like a funeral…
Regardless of the faith background of people or no faith background at all, Psalm 23 is the most requested funeral scripture. Almost every time without exception, when I sit down with a family to plan a funeral service, they talk about the 23rd Psalm. Sometimes they tell the story about memorizing it as a child…