Liberation Day is one of Italy’s traditional picnic days. And today’s balmy weather has many people planning one! Which makes me wonder: do all nations have standard picnic days? I only know about Italy and the USA. Americans, of course, are familiar with picnics on Memorial Day, the 4th of July, Labor Day, and others. […]
In light of my post yesterday on vaccine mandates, some comments have caused me to reflect. Comments that expressed concern for our situation or praised our courage in following our convictions. It was the latter that gave me pause. I don’t feel courageous, and doubt that I have what it takes to be heroic. Those […]
Winter is usually brief in our area, no matter what the calendar says. We get more rain than snow. Most years the cold doesn’t start until December or January and it’s gone by the end of February. This year it blew in with a vengeance, with below average temperatures. And with extra strong winds, that […]
In most ancient cultures women were accorded a low status in society, sometimes even lower than animals. Even the great Greek philosophers, with their vast culture, considered them inherently inferior creatures. Aristotle once said, “Woman may be said to be an inferior to man.” Jewish Scriptures elevated woman’s status. But the Hebrew Scriptures valued women […]
At the risk of sounding like a doomsday prophet I’d say that difficult times are upon us and bound to get worse. Financial woes, unstable governments, pandemics, alarming Great Resets, crumbling values. There are also existential threats to health and the environment, according to experts. Indeed, on our summer treks people everyone everywhere spoke of […]
“What good is the church?” As pastors we have been asked this question, albeit in different forms. Especially since the pandemic and the lockdowns. And people gave many reasons for giving up on the church. A trend that grew during lockdowns. Even now as lockdowns are easing, some people still find in-person meetings unnecessary. It […]