Tag Archives: community

Use That Spanish You Learned In High School and College

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When A Church Member Should Go

  At Wedgewood we begin our worship services with what we call an extravagant welcome, a phrase we learned from the United Church of Christ. An extravagant welcome to us means, in part, welcoming what new people can add to … Continue reading

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The Second Call: Disappointing People/Churches

  Years ago, starting fifteen or so years ago, the more liberal Wedgewood became the more people left it. During that difficult time I found this excerpt from Jean Vanier’s  Community and Growth very helpful.  I try to keep Vanier’s … Continue reading

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People Like You Get The Hell On My Nerves

Let me break this to you gently and slowly:  YOU GET ON PEOPLE’S NERVES. We all do.  We get on the nerves of people who love us, work with us, go to church with us. Truth be known, if we … Continue reading

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“You Get The Hell On My Nerves”

I am observing you.  Just wanted to warn you.  I’m looking at your right now, in fact.  If I see things about you I like, don’t get too excited because – because it’s typical in relationships to initially find things we love … Continue reading

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Rewriting the Epiphany Story

Sometimes it may be helpful to rewrite a biblical narrative.  Let’s rewrite the Epiphany story and see what happens. The Magi travel from afar.  We all know about the difficulties of travel, particularly long trips.  And some of us travel … Continue reading

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Prayer for Auto-snoozers, Parents of Two Darth Vaders, etc.

God, We know people who are living on auto-snooze.  Can you do something about it? We are acquainted with folk who aren’t connected in so many ways.  How about a little lesson for them on the Quantum Inseparability Principle – … Continue reading

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We Really Don’t Want To Hear You Whine

Senator Richard Lugar Sunday on CBS’s Face The Nation said that “a large part of the Republican Party of Indiana believed, apparently, in the idea of individualism as opposed to community . . .” A lot of Americans these days … Continue reading

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Would It Kill You To Stop Doing That? (Living In Community)

An old German folktale tells the story of a group of porcupines who live in an area so cold, they will freeze when they stand too far apart from one another, but succumb to impalement if they stand too close.  … Continue reading

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Devotional: Mother-In-Law Reports More Bad News From Mitchell County

I have what you might call a large extended family.  When I married my wife I knew I was marrying her family but I didn’t know I was marrying the county, as in Mitchell County, NC, population 15, 687.  In … Continue reading

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