a prophetic voice-

I preached this sermon at Grace Lutheran Church, Thomasville NC on November 24th. Luke 23:33-43 These are the LAST DAYS…of the church year… Next Sunday we will begin the season of preparation and anticipation-  Advent- the time of preparing our hearts, our lives, to receive anew the Christ who comes to us as a Babe in a manger…comforting…peace-filled…lovely. “Silent Night, Holy Night”, we will sing. But TODAY IS CHRIST THE KING! And while we might like to think about Jesus seated on a throne, or Jesus in the clouds, or even Jesus riding triumphantly into Jerusalem, our Gospel reading instead gives us Jesus on the cross.  We get the final hours before his death, seemingly at the lowest point of his life, when it appeared he had been beaten by everyone and everything, when it seemed that the powers-that-be had won. Just what is so Kingly about that?  There are a number of passages in the gospels dealing with Jesus’ time on the cro...

Dear Republican friends,       I write this because I am trying- really trying- to understand your seemingly-unconditional support of the man in the White House...a man who has and continues to lie, to twist reality into the image he wants...a man who denigrates women, who makes fun of anyone who disagrees with him...a man who has alienated so many of our allies and aligned himself with the Russian oligarch, Putin...a man who continues to challenge the freedom of the press by calling them "fake" when they report something he doesn't like. The list could go on and on.       I am asking you for some explanation for your continued support of this man who, in my opinion, is misusing and abusing the office of the Presidency of these United States- which are tragically more divided than any time I can recall in my nearly-seventy-eight years. You see, I view us all as Americans...would like to believe we all want the best for all the people of this nati...

It is now the middle of November and I...we...are in the midst of a major life change. To explain, "we" is my best friend, Mae, and I. We have been sharing this dear old house since January of this year, becoming accustomed to being housemates, quite an adjustment for me since I had lived alone for the past eight years. But friendship overcomes many little things which might become major in other circumstances, and learning to compromise and openly communicate in a different way from previously has been both a challenge and a gift.  In the midst of the heat and humidity of summer, faced with the inarguable fact of aging- of both us and the house- we began looking at apartments in High Point, Greensboro, and Winston-Salem, spending hours both on-line and driving to see possible places to live. It was exhausting but also quite exhilarating, as the prospect of this change-of-life became more and more real.  And then, in late September, we made a decision and applied to 2918 ...