God
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Option Number Three
Long ago… let’s say it was during freshman Biology class… I learned about the “fight or flight” response. The idea behind this response is that when an animal (including the human animal) is confronted by a life-threatening situation, the adrenal… Continue reading
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“Let me OFF!”
Well, it’s that time of year again. It is the time of year when the antennae of clergyfolk in the United Methodist Church are exquisitely attuned to every minor shift in the wind, every minute rise or fall in barometric… Continue reading
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Saggy Clay
“Yet, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand.”(Isaiah 64:8, NRSV) One of my favorite courses in college was Pottery 101. We started out the class by… Continue reading
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Short and Sweet
“For he knows how we were made; he remembers that we are dust. As for mortals, their days are like grass; they flourish like a flower of the field; for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and… Continue reading
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The Path
“To know me…” my friend Rick used to say, always with a sly smirk, “… is to love me.” And for most of us, that certainly is the logical order of things. Step 1: Get to know someone. Or something.… Continue reading
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It’s All Hard
A local remodeling contractor came over to our house on Saturday. My sweet, visionary wife has this notion of flipping the locations of our current kitchen and dining room so that each of them would end up in the space… Continue reading
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Being a parent…
I’ve been an acrobat. But I have never done more juggling, flipping, and contorting than I have as a parent. I’ve been an artist. But I have never helped create anything more beautiful than my children. I’ve been heartbroken. But… Continue reading
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Chew on it
“Is this mine to do?” Sometimes this is an easy question to answer… other times it is surprisingly difficult. In my experience, it is also a question that most folks do not ask nearly often enough. I was across town… Continue reading
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Glorious Grind
“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31, NRSV The other night we had some people over for dinner. Joan decided a big spinach salad would be the perfect accompaniment for… Continue reading
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Unreasonable
She was such a sweet lady. Petite. Probably in her late 70s. Pretty pink knit hat and matching sweater. Cheerful, smiling disposition. I’ll call her Gladys. And the way she phrased her request as just as sweet as she was.… Continue reading
Russellings of the Spirit 