The best leaders champion their teams

“Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,…let us RUN.”   (Hebrews 12:1) When my granddaughter Mia scores an occasional goal during a soccer match, there is jubilation on the sidelines—her father, her grandfathers, all the wives and …

All Saints Day/All Saints Sunday

All Saints Day (Nov. 1 or All Saints Sunday, the first Sunday in November) is a day of remembrance for the saints, with the New Testament meaning of all Christian people of every time and place. We celebrate the communion …

A sacred reunion

For me, it was always just a stopping point for a whitefish sandwich and a refreshing drink 13 hours into the 14-hour drive to see my wife Joan’s parents in the UP (Upper Peninsula) of Michigan.  For the indigenous peoples of that region, however, St. Ignace is sacred…

Juneteenth and July 4th: A tale of two Independence Days

At a time when America’s freedom is endangered by efforts to restrict or even thwart voting rights for all, it may be timely for us to have two holidays to celebrate our nation’s freedom and independence—both actual and aspirational. July …

Fare-thee-well

Moving pastors say goodbye to churches amid waning pandemic My move to a new pastoral appointment is happening now. But I sympathize especially with clergy who had to move last summer during the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Last year, …

Singing the Lord’s song in a foreign time

Over the past few days, I’ve spent time with pastors and laity talking about Christmas. We’ve wrestled with questions: How can Advent/Christmas be celebrated without carols? How do we deal with visitors if…

The Uncertain Devotion

Uncertainty is part of life. It can be the cause of our fears, worries and concerns. It is a principle in science that challenges us to explain how the universe and our bodies work. It is a principle…

Getting back to spiritual basics

When life gets chaotic, we all know that getting back to basics is important. We try to get more sleep, eat healthy food, remember to take our vitamins, get some exercise, go outside every day. Maybe we spend time with family and friends, count our blessings…

Our life planning must start with God

By the Rev. Gordon HendricksonEastern PA Conference Coordinator of Congregational Development By the Last week for Palm Sunday, we looked at how to overcome the fear or anxiety of death.  We have no control over this aspect of life.  I …