Author Archives: Chaplainmike

Randy Thompson: A Reminiscence of Thanksgivings Past

A Reminiscence of Thanksgivings Past by Randy Thompson I think it’s sad that we, as a country, no longer honor the celebration of Thanksgiving as we once did. Now, it is little more than a kick-off for Christmas-related consumerism, with people showing up at Walmart Thanksgiving Day for “door buster” deals, provided they’re not atContinue reading “Randy Thompson: A Reminiscence of Thanksgivings Past”

Another Look: Let’s Go Marveling

Let’s go marveling. “This felicitous phrase is taken from the great Methodist preacher Fred Craddock, who tells of the ancestral practice of taking walks every Sunday afternoon and finding things to marvel at and to share with others” (Wm. P. Brown). A sense of wonder is essential to the attitude of thankfulness. It is whenContinue reading “Another Look: Let’s Go Marveling”

Randy Thompson: A Late November Meditation on Memory, Gratitude and Joy

A Late November Meditation on Memory, Gratitude and Joy by Randy Thompson Distinctions can be made between joy and happiness, but generally speaking, making the distinction isn’t worth the effort. Let’s say, simply, that happiness tends to be fueled by specific events and circumstances, while joy is a contentment rooted deep in the heart. LikeContinue reading “Randy Thompson: A Late November Meditation on Memory, Gratitude and Joy”

Sermon: Reign of Christ Sunday — What kind of King is this?

Sermon: Reign of Christ Sunday What kind of King is this? (Luke 22:33-43) The Lord be with you. On the church calendar, it is the last Sunday of the year, the Sunday on which we celebrate the Reign of Christ — his Kingship, his rulership over all of our lives, over all the world, overContinue reading “Sermon: Reign of Christ Sunday — What kind of King is this?”

Saturday Brunch, November 23, 2019

Hello, friends, and welcome to the weekend. Ready for some brunch? A Mexican church claims it has “accidentally” erected the largest baby Jesus statue in the world. “There is a space of between 26 feet between the ceiling and the floor and I ordered a statue measuring 21 feet, but I never intended to make itContinue reading “Saturday Brunch, November 23, 2019”

IM Recommended Reading: Late Migrations

I am reading a remarkable, luminous book by Margaret Renkl, called Late Migrations: A Natural History of Love and Loss. This book of meditations and and short essays reminds me of Annie Dillard’s writing, with its intermingling of nature observations and reflections on life. Maureen Corrigan said the following in her review: “Late Migrations isContinue reading “IM Recommended Reading: Late Migrations”

Review of “Love and Quasars: An Astrophysicist Reconciles Faith and Science” by Paul Wallace, Part 4.

Review of “Love and Quasars: An Astrophysicist Reconciles Faith and Science” by Paul Wallace, Part 4. Chapter 6 is entitled “A Larger, Stranger God: How Science Expands Your View of God.”  The chapter is basically a parable starring Tycho Brahe, the last great European astronomer to never use a telescope.  Tycho was a bit ofContinue reading “Review of “Love and Quasars: An Astrophysicist Reconciles Faith and Science” by Paul Wallace, Part 4.”

BEYOND Traditional Marriage: A New Program

Another Look: BEYOND Traditional Here is another look at a proposed program for strengthening marriages that we suggested a few years ago. We don’t just promote traditional marriage, we recommend going BEYOND traditional marriage and taking up these tried and true practices that are fully Biblical™ and forever enshrined for us in the pages ofContinue reading “BEYOND Traditional Marriage: A New Program”

Another Look: Are We More Gracious than God?

 Above all, maintain constant love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins. • 1 Peter 4:8, NRSV Love…keeps no record of being wronged. • 1 Corinthians 13:5, NLT • • • This is not meant as a formal theological analysis of the meaning of the atonement. It’s more like street-level questioning ofContinue reading “Another Look: Are We More Gracious than God?”