Posts from August 2017
You gotta take someone along with you
One of the difficult nuts to crack for any group of people, and maybe especially churches, is how to teach young ones (or recent converts) how to “do” life. There are literally countless programs for a minister to choose from that promise to “activate the lay men and women” or “re-vitalize your people” or “catalyze the love” or some such nonsense. I was moved today when an elderly, and I mean very elderly, woman came by the church. She stopped…
Morning 10 minute drill
In the morning, when I get to my study, I like to take 10 minutes, it really doesn’t matter how busy my day is likely to be, and take 10 minutes. Some people take Facebook breaks, or coffee breaks, or smoke breaks over the course of the day, I like to start my day with a break. I listen to gentle music, set a timer, close my eyes, and permit my mind to wander. Sometimes nothing happens and I feel…
What are people for? Essays by Wendell Berry
I just realized that while I may not be old, I am old enough to no longer remember when certain personally influential writers came into my life. Few are more important to me than Wendell Berry. His lucid prose, his tight poetry, and the insight and clarity of his essays mean that whenever I pick up one of his books I will not be disappointed. In fact, I regularly re-read many of his books, and I always find myself jealous…