10
Dec 2021
The nights are getting longer and the sunshine is getting shorter. Winter is coming, and we are fast approaching the longest night. Even in the midst of the joy and cheer of the season, it seems that we are surrounded by grief. Memorial services and school shootings and canceled school band concerts bring new grief. Holiday preparations without a loved one or without the ability to do what we used to do bring remembered grief. And in the midst of it all, we continue to put on a smile and pretend we......
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Anticipation
Today, Friday, I paint. When some people say this, we automatically think of Mary Cassat or Georgia O’Keefe. That’s not what I’m doing. I’m painting a room. You might remember during the monsoon this...
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Decorations
Have you decorated yet? My husband reminded me last week that a year ago, we set up our Christmas tree a full week before Thanksgiving. We never do that! We decorate on Thanksgiving Day...
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Perseverance
This week, our ICU numbers are bad. This week, some other number got worse by six times. Not double, SIX times worse. This week, that school is closed, and that one is missing a...
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Commitment
What are you committed to? I’m committed to my health. I pay attention to what I eat, I try to exercise, I don’t overdo it. Well, full disclosure, I don’t do all of those...
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All Saints’ Day
In worship on Sunday, we will observe All Saints’ Day. This is often set aside as a Catholic thing, but the Methodist Church has a strong tradition of observing the day. John Wesley, the...
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Being United Methodist
This last week, your three pastors and two of our lay leaders went to the Church of the Resurrection in Kansas City for a Large Church and Young Adult Conference. We spent 25...
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Support
I have a confession: I am addicted to Facebook. There. I said it. I find it to be a fabulous way to see what many of you are up to, and a way to...
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Presence
As I write this, I’m preparing for vacation. I’m checking off all the tasks I need to do in order to walk away without leaving anything on my to-do list. In reality, I’ve narrowed...
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Keeping Your Vows
Have you ever thought of your membership vows to the church? If you’re like me, the answer is no. I joined the church after my Confirmation class in seventh grade. I stood before First...
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