News

May 12, 2021

“Living in the Animal House” May 7, 2021

This Sunday is Mother’s Day–a time that can be either heart-warming or heart-breaking (and sometimes both). That’s because some of us may feel gratitude for the parents we had; some […]
April 28, 2021

“Another Sestercentennial? Or Is It Semiquincentennial?” April 23, 2021

As you can see in the description of the upcoming Sunday service (“Getting the Hell Out of Religion: Part II”), we will be celebrating the 250th birthday of Hosea Ballou […]
April 12, 2021

“An Indonesian Tale for Buddha’s Birthday” April 9, 2021

Back in November and February I wrote a couple columns on some lessons I learned on a trip I took to Indonesia in 2013, thanks to a gift from a […]
April 5, 2021

“What Balloons Can Teach Us” April 2, 2021

As you read this, I will have celebrated my 72nd birthday on Wednesday, March 31st. (I always wished my birthday could have been on April Fools’ Day; it always seemed […]
March 31, 2021

Parson to Person:  “Watching Eggs Hatch” March 26, 2021

A couple people asked whether my sermon on March 14th (“Here Comes the Sun”) would be available in print. It is, and you can get it at: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vBmUNlYl-qeLlZZ8Yv7fEuRPap7xfslror8wYt0O8vc/edit But for those […]
March 24, 2021

Parson to Person: “Why Is Easter So Hard to Predict?” March 19, 2021

In my sermon this past Sunday I mentioned that I would tell you how (and why) Easter varies so much from year to year. Although my original intention was to […]
March 16, 2021

Parson to Person: “A Different Easter Story” March 12, 2021

This Sunday I will be speaking about some of the spring festivals around the world (ancient and modern). In preparing my message, however,  I realized I wouldn’t have time to mention […]
March 10, 2021

Parson to Person: “The Next Time You Fly Out of Chicago” March 5, 2021

Last Sunday my sermon was on “The Way for This Journey.” There is one story I didn’t have time to tell you in that sermon, so I thought I’d mention […]
March 2, 2021

Parson to Person: “Daunting Drivers, Indonesia” Feb. 26, 2021

This column has nothing specifically to do with current events, political or otherwise. But, for me, it feels like a parable of how I might look at the worlds of […]