News

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 […]
February 24, 2021

“O Lord, It’s Hard to Be Humble” Feb. 19, 2021

Two days ago it was Ash Wednesday, the day that begins Lent (the period of 40 days before Easter). When I was young, you were supposed to give something up […]