When God had finished creating the blue sky and the white ocean and the little field mice and the big giraffe, and he had put his finishing touches on Adam and Eve, he sat down for a rest. But while he was in his recliner, a thought popped into his head. He jumped to his… Continue reading When God Made Grandparents
Either/Or
"You cannot serve both God and mammon." (Luke 16.13) When the Roman city of Pompeii was layered with lava from the explosion of the volcano Vesuvius in the year 79 A.D., the residents had minutes to escape. Most were buried under the molten ash. Their lives were cemented at the moment of the eruption of… Continue reading Either/Or
He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother
"Your brother was lost and has been found." (Luke 15.32) A handful of years have gone by since the man died, leaving behind two sons. And however long the discord between the sons and whatever the first cause of the distance between them, it did not end with the death of their dad. The younger… Continue reading He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother
Mick’s
We never had a "Cheers" bar--the TV place "where everybody knows your name and they're always glad you came"--but we had Mick's for almost thirty years, and it also was someplace where you could go and everybody would know your name. While our small community could never be confused with Boston, we still found as… Continue reading Mick’s
Gone, But Not Forgotten
Grief, if it doesn't kill you, can make you wish you were dead. Every grieving person is on life support. Grief walks through the front door uninvited, destroys the house like a drunk on a terror, and walks out the back door only when it is sure the damage can't be undone. Anthropologists define grief… Continue reading Gone, But Not Forgotten
Hello, Howdy, and Hell Yeah
Small town folks generally are a friendly bunch. I've lived in small places and in big places. I've found that the level of friendliness is in inverse proportion to the population. The general rule is the smaller the population, the greater the friendliness; the bigger the population, the less the friendliness. There may be exceptions,… Continue reading Hello, Howdy, and Hell Yeah
The Cost of Discipleship
"Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple." (Luke 14.27) Some years ago, a particularly rough storm passed through the area. People here are accustomed to high winds, but the winds that evening were not the usual ones. When morning came and we looked around to see what… Continue reading The Cost of Discipleship
I Have Never Dwelt in a House
Orthodox Jews want to rebuild the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem. Most would say it is a pipe dream. Other believers take the view that the Messiah will rebuild the sacred structure when he comes. Until the Third Temple is built one way or another, a partial wall from the Second Temple still stands on… Continue reading I Have Never Dwelt in a House
Sit Wherever You Like
"When you hold a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind." (Luke 14.13) Texas and BBQ go together like Cheech and Chong or Simon and Garfunkel. You'll always find BBQ in Texas. One of my favorite BBQ places is a renovated Dairy Queen in the next town over--DQs also so ubiquitous they… Continue reading Sit Wherever You Like
The Wheel of Fortune
Fortuna was not a girl you wanted to marry. Even dating her could be dangerous. Fortuna, as you might recall, was the goddess of fortune in Roman mythology. Fortuna had a pretty face that made a person want to court her. The problem was that her pretty face could turn ugly in a split second.… Continue reading The Wheel of Fortune
Sunday Brunch 