My parents and I went to Branson Friday and Saturday to see Samson and another show called Six.  The main show to see, though, was Samson.  Several people in Mom and Dad’s church had seen the show and were going on and on about it.  This was the last weekend for it, and it was … Continue reading Gratitude →

“You is good.  You is smart.  You is important.”  These are familiar words from the movie The Help.  Many of you know this story, how it depicts the discrepancies within our history between the races, particularly during the Civil Rights Movement.  In this film the main character Skeeter, a young, white, female journalist, asks a … Continue reading I See You →

Lectionary Readings for today. As most of you know, I am an only child.  I had an imaginary friend — a monkey named Muntney — that I played with and who got the blame for things I did wrong.  But, I was a good girl and don’t believe I was a trouble child.  My mom, … Continue reading Now Let Me Alone →

Good Morning!  When I wake up in the mornings, my cats are usually screaming at me to be fed while they herd me out of my room, down the hall, and into the kitchen to their food bowl.  As my coffee percolates on the stove, I scroll through Instagram to see the pictures of baby … Continue reading Jesus, Take Your Time →

Lectionary Reading for Today Some of us here this morning are young enough that we are building those “back in the day” stories.  Some of us are, well, perhaps a little more like a fine wine or a wheel of cheese:  we have lived — or perhaps survived — those “back in the day” stories.  … Continue reading Who are you? →

This morning I step into a unique and beautiful position.  This position is one that affords a perspective of a people who has faced many challenges in the past two years.  This group of people — you — have been forced to examine who you are and where you have come; in turn, you have … Continue reading The Fire is His Presence that Gives us Faith →

One of my favorite books is To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.  This story holds a wealth of lessons and illustrations and anecdotes about life, relationships, hardship, injustice, doubt, grace, and community.  In the text Scout Finch is raised by many people:  her father Atticus, their maid Calpurnia, their neighbor Miss Maudie, and Atticus’ … Continue reading A Handful of Humility and a Pound of Persistence →

Lectionary Reading We celebrate today the nativity of John the Baptist, the prequel to Jesus Christ. We know John. We know of his jumping in the womb of Elizabeth when her cousin Mary, pregnant with the Messiah, went to visit. We know his living in the wilderness eating honey and locusts. We know his baptizing … Continue reading Nativity of John the Baptist →

Seventh Sunday of Easter Readings. When I was in college, my grandmother wrote letters and cards to me quite regularly.  Most of the time, her letters were not very long — a small stationary page or two.  She also sent cards and would write a note on the facing page, underline or circle certain words … Continue reading Pray for the gift of unity, and we all will be changed. →

Second Sunday of Easter Readings. Today, we are a week past the crucifixion, death, and resurrection of Jesus. A week ago, Jesus left His disciples and walked the Via Dolorosa, the Way of Pain, alone. Some watched Him. Some left Him. One denied Him. One betrayed Him. And then there's Thomas. Our Thomas who says … Continue reading Where Have You Been? →

Lectionary Readings for Maundy Thursday. Do you remember Big Boy restaurants? My MeMa, without Mom's okay, gave me my first solid food at a Big Boy. Mom was horrified, but I squealed and MeMa laughed. I also remember growing up and watching the commercials for McDonald’s with Ronald, Grimace, Birdie the Early Bird, and the … Continue reading Maundy Thursday →

Lectionary Gospel reading for the Fourth Sunday in Lent. Because my parents are visiting this Sunday, I’m going to take advantage of their presence. I remember my summer between high school and college. I was working at Church’s Fried Chicken. I hated that job, but it got me out of the house. I was SO … Continue reading It’s Not What He Did →

Our lectionary readings this morning brought to mind so many different scenarios for me.  There is a wealth of instruction and encouragement from these passages, and I was inspired to reflect on stories I have heard and relationships in my life.  So, this morning will be a different sort of sermon from what I have … Continue reading It’s a Matter of Perspective →

I listen to a podcast from Mike Rowe.  You know him, the voice behind most of our current-generation Ford commercials and dozens of nature and science related documentaries as well as the television show “Dirty Jobs.”  Well, Mike has this podcast called “The Way I Heard It.”  It’s reminiscent of the Paul Harvey-style of storytelling:  … Continue reading .-.. . – / .. – / -… . →

Little Nellie and her father were visiting an elderly neighbor. They were raking the neighbor's leaves, organizing the neighbor's garage, putting the trash out, and performing other small jobs around the neighbor's house. The little girl had not really seen the elderly neighbor closely, but on this day she was going to meet the neighbor … Continue reading God’s Ball of Yarn →

A few weeks ago at our Wednesday evening study Kneeling With Giants, we talked abut Teresa of Avila. In that chapter of our text, we considered the various ways that we address God when we pray. For example, we talked about Jesus as friend: one who walks with us and remains with us through the … Continue reading Christ the King →

Corrie Ten Boom, a watchmaker who lived with her family, helped to hide Jews during the Nazi occupation of Holland in WW2. Her family was discovered, and they were rounded up with other Dutch citizens and sent to concentration camps. Corrie and her sister Betsie were at the Ravensbruck camp. She wrote several books after … Continue reading All You Have →

There’s a conversation in one of my favorite novels between a father and his six year old daughter. Scout is confused by the anger and tension that is going on in her town of Maycomb, Alabama. Atticus joins Scout on the front porch swing and begins talking to her about what’s going on. He says … Continue reading We Define Ourselves by What We Are Not →

A group of 8 friends were having a dinner party out on the back deck of a home one Saturday evening. Nothing fancy. Mostly finger foods. Ribs. Plates of cheese. Olives. Chips. Wine. The friends had not had a chance to get together in a while, and their conversations flowed effortlessly peppered with Oohs and … Continue reading Would You Like a Glass of Wine? →

There is a children's story written for adults. It's called The Little Prince, and it tells the story of a small Prince from an asteroid far, far away. This Prince meets an airplane pilot who has crashed landed in the Sahara desert; the pilot is attempting to fix his plane before his rations run out. … Continue reading Tend Your Baobabs →

The squirrels are out. They’ve always been out, scampering around, chasing one another, barking and chirping at one another, flicking their tails in territorial aggression. I sit at my table and look out my back window and watch “my” squirrels. My dad made a little platform that stands on a steel pipe. This platform stands … Continue reading Be Prepared →

Had I been given both of my grandmothers' first names, I would have been Nellie Margie.  Thanks Mom and Dad for looking ahead into my future and bestowing your mothers'  middle names to me so that I am Janie Layne. When I was growing up, my friends wanted to be "Beth" or "Liz" instead of … Continue reading What I Heard from the Pulpit →

Historical Challenge of Chronicles The inconsistencies within the text of Chronicles versus Samuel-Kings does not imply that one is truth and the other lies.  Inconsistencies also occur in the creation narrative.   What comes to mind, however, if we allow the inconsistencies to occur and still regard the whole text as valid is that we must … Continue reading Chronicles (in two threads) →

Life is funny: there can be times when we feel so connected to one another, we are in sync and almost finishing one another's sentences, and there other times that we could be sitting beside one another right now but there is a gap miles wide between us. Sometimes we can be engaged with one … Continue reading Dancing About Architecture →