Musings and More
Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics
"There are three kinds of lies," said the British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli. "Lies, damned lies, and statistics." Welcome to Facebook. And Twitter. And social media of all sorts and species. Oh, and welcome to Election 2016. There's a connection here if you'll hang on for a second or two while [READ MORE]
Conventional Faces
So it happened. Hillary Clinton has won the Democratic nomination for President of the United States. She is the first female Presidential candidate of a major party in America. Good for Hillary. And good for the Democrats. Of course, I'm not voting for her. Not voting for Donald Trump either. [READ MORE]
Un-Convention-al Wisdom
Well, the Republican National Convention is over, although there were moments during Donald Trump's one hour and 15 minute long acceptance speech when I wondered if it would ever actually end. Mind you, I'm a preacher and long-windedness is something I appreciate. My anxiety about wrapping up the speech was [READ MORE]
Waltzing the Danube
The Danube. The Blue Danube. Actually, the murky brown Blue Danube. But beautiful nonetheless. It is Europe's second longest river, originating at the confluence of the Brigach and Breg rivers deep in the heart of Germany's Black Forest. From there the river winds its way through ten countries, passing by four capital cities on a twisting [READ MORE]
Of Fathers and Sons – a Fathers Day Tribute to my Dad
I am now 17 years older than my father lived to be. Imagine that. Seventeen years. I'll never forget the night he died. I was working at Lechmere Sales at the Liberty Tree Mall in Danvers, MA. My wife Sandy suddenly appeared at the credit desk where I was a Supervisor. She [READ MORE]
Standing with PULSE
Let's set aside terrorism for a moment. And let's suspend for a few seconds our much-needed debate about gun control laws. Instead, let's give our full attention to "the gay" part of what happened at The PULSE nightclub Orlando. Because it was a "gay thing" - a brutal attack aimed specifically at LGBTQ [READ MORE]
“Protect Them” – a Memorial Day Meditation
What are your earliest memories of Memorial Day? Debbie Greene Brown, one of the kids who grew up in the first church I served – now all grown up with kids of her own – once posted on her Facebook page a Memorial Day memory. She [READ MORE]
Two Years Later and Love Still Never Ends
Yesterday - April 27, 2016 - marked the two-year anniversary of my last Sunday as Senior Pastor of the Community Church at Tellico Village. I wasn't aware of this milestone until my daughter Bethany posted the news on Facebook. Then the memories came... That last Sunday was a moment bubbling over with powerful waves of emotion. There was [READ MORE]
Speaking of Sitting in Pews…
True story. It was Easter Sunday and the church was full. This was back in the old days when folks used to go out and buy new clothes for Easter – dresses and hats for the women and girls, suits and ties for the men and boys. The sanctuary was [READ MORE]
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Churches I’ve Served
Holy Trinity United Methodist Church
Danvers, MA
First Congregational Church (Oldtown)
North Attleboro, MA
Greendale Peoples Church
Worcester, MA
Tellico Village Community Church
Loudon, TN