Yesterday was Pentecost, the day when Christians celebrate the birthday of the church, which happened when the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the first disciples of Jesus. Yesterday was also Mother’s Day. In fact, it was the 100th anniversary of the first Mother’s Day celebration in church. Yesterday was also a day in which…

Last Saturday I was driving from New Haven, Connecticut, to JFK Airport in New York. I got of the highway to grab something to eat. I ended up at Friendly’s, one of my old favorites from my New England days. After lunch, I decided to make my way south along a scenic drive that bordered…

Yesterday I was riding on the AirTrain at JFK Airport in New York. This ride came after a eleven-hour travel day thanks to a canceled American Airlines flight and a two-hour-delayed JetBlue flight. While standing on the AirTrain in my travel induced stupor, I was staring at a couple of signs. One indicated “No Smoking”…

This week I’ve been speaking at the West Coast Presbyterian Pastors Conference at Mt. Hermon, California, in the verdant mountains above Santa Cruz. That’s rather ironic, given the fact that I am no longer a parish pastor and no longer living on the West Coast. My involvement at this conference also helps to explain why…

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