"I'm at peace," I heard a woman say. My husband and I were attending Calvin's 50th reunion last weekend when I overheard this comment. She went on to explain that she was facing a life-threatening surgery. From her story and demeanor, I felt she was saying she was ready for any untoward outcome. I thought …
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When I was a child living in a parsonage, we attended church services on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. Imagine how we felt as kids when these holidays fell near a Sunday. Because we also attended morning and evening Sunday services, we would joke about just staying in our Sunday dresses and camping …
Luke 2 (From The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language / Eugene Peterson / 2002.) The Birth of Jesus About that time Caesar Augustus ordered a census to be taken throughout the Empire. This was the first census when Quirinius was governor of Syria. Everyone had to travel to his own ancestral hometown to be …
One hundred years ago tomorrow, the first cornerstone of Fourth Presbyterian Church of Chicago was laid on a dirt road not yet named Michigan Ave. There was no way then to know that one day the church would be in the middle of the Magnificent Mile. Today, a second cornerstone was laid. This time for …
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Caring Lessons Now #6 In Chicago today, it's important to be Irish. We'll leave soon to watch the greening of the Chicago River. The streets below my study window are filling with dots of green T-shirted people. At the same time, people close to me are dealing with severe illnesses. Recently, a recipient of supposedly …
At tonight's Taize style service at our church, we sang several simple songs repetitively. The following song felt particularly appropriate as a prayer for the New Year. O Lord, hear my prayer, O Lord, hear my prayer. When I call answer me. O Lord, hear my prayer, O Lord, hear my prayer. Come and listen …
A week ago yesterday, I had the privilege of being the speaker at a Vespers service in a retirement village. Never having done this before, I still readily accepted the invitation. I'm happy I did. You see retirement homes hold an attraction for me. I conducted my doctoral research in one, spending a summer--it felt …
Continue reading Does your time in retirement belong to you?
"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands..." Psa. 19:1 (NIV) "God's glory is on tour in the skies; God-craft on exhibit across the horizon..." Psa. 19:1 (The Message - The Bible in contemporary language) "The spacious heavens tell the glory of the Lord; the skies his work …
Continue reading Dawn on a Chicago Christmas – “The heavens declare your glory…”
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