"At the end it's not about what you have or even what you've accomplished. It's about who you've lifted up, who you've made better. It's about what you've given back." Denzel Washington Dear Friends, How do you measure success?  This, of course, is a...

Dear Friends, As we are all aware, there is a lot of talk these days about whether we are a Christian nation.  We have listened tothe debate as it rages back and forth—from those who suggest that our nation’s founders uniformly intended for...

Dear Friends, There is a word that we don’t hear much about anymore in many church circles.  It is a word that used to be quitepopular.  In fact, committees were formed and conferences held to ensure that this word would remain a key word in...

Dear Friends, It’s not the way I was hoping that we would begin our newyear.  I was hoping for the lingering warmth of “season’s greetings” and the untainted hope of a fresh start as we try to figure out how we can best live together in peace and...

Dear Friends, There was an article in the New York Times many years ago that shared the story about David Storch, a musicteacher, who borrowed a copy of the score of Handel’s “Messiah” from the Brooklyn Public Library.  Through aclerical error, however,...

Dear Friends, During my backpacking days, I learned to appreciate the value of a well-placed trail marker (also known as a “duck”).  When hiking through snow or over large stretches of granite slab, those trail markers kept us from...

Dear Friends, Gratitude.  It’s a word that tends to pop up in various conversations at this time of year.    As the Thanksgiving holiday approaches, many of us, on cue, are inclined to think about and express the gratitude...

Dear Friends, This coming Sunday is one that is celebrated in various churches as “Christ the King Sunday” or “The Reign of Christ Sunday.” It is the last Sunday of the liturgical year and the following Sunday, the first Sunday of the Season...

Dear Friends, Well, it’s been a while!  In case you haven’t noticed, I’ve been away for a couple of weeks.  Susan and I were able to take a trip to Europe that was both eye-opening and awe inspiring.  We learned a lot about the places we visited in the Netherlands,...

It’s no secret that we live in a time of accelerating change. Someone once suggested that what we are witnessing today is like watching a hen trying to lay an egg on an escalator. Just when she settles in and gets comfortable, the bottom drops out from underneath her! That, I think, is an apt description of the kind of change we are witnessing in this unsettling time.