Most of us have heard of Ellis Island. Many of us who have traced our ancestry can lay claim to having descended from someone who came through Ellis Island on their journey to becoming an American citizen. Prior to 1892 immigration was controlled by individual states. On January 1, 1892 the Federal government opened an […]
Hard to believe that it has been less than 100 years since women were granted the right to vote. The 19th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified on August 18, 1920, granting women the full rights of citizenship. What is ironic is that four years before women were granted the right to vote, a woman […]
Do you ever read something in the Bible and think “what in the world does that mean”? Do you ever read something in the Bible and think “that doesn’t sound right?” Do you ever read something in the Bible and wonder “how does that fit in today’s society?” Well – I have done all of […]
In school we learned about the blockade at Yorktown which led to the surrender of Lord Cornwallis – which led to a quick end to the war for independence. We were told of the leadership of George Washington. We were told of the French hero who led French soldiers to aid us in the fight. […]
We have entered the season of Lent – 40 days of prayer and fasting before Easter as we reflect on the suffering of Jesus Christ and examine our own hearts. For some churches this is a very big part of their services. For others, little, if anything, is said about this season. Growing up in […]
Great and holy God awe and reverence fear and trembling do not come easily to us for we are not Old Testament Jews or Moses or mystics or sensitive enough. Forgive us for slouching into Your presence with little expectation and less awe than we would eagerly give a visiting dignitary. We need neither Jehovah […]
This past weekend I held my great-grandson in my arms for the first time. He is just seven months old and lives with his parents in North Carolina – much too far away from this great-grandmother. This triggered so many memories and emotions. The overwhelming and instant love I felt when they placed his grandmother […]
Music is magic. Music is a world within itself, with a language we all understand….Stevie Wonder Music is the emotional life of most people….Leonard Cohen One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain….Bob Marley I see the power of music every month as I play for the residents of a […]
In our worship today we sang about the Lion and the Lamb. Those two terms are often used in Christian circles to describe Jesus. But what a contrast! Think of a lion. The mighty king of the jungle. He is big, he has a tremendous roar. He symbolizes power and strength. Lions have often been […]
You will see lots of pink ribbons this month as October has been designated as Breast Cancer Awareness Month. In 1979 wife of one of the prisoners held by Iran in the hostage crisis decided to use a yellow ribbon to show support for her husband. Soon there were hundreds of yellow ribbons displayed around […]
During my marriage to my pastor husband, I have kept scrapbooks of our many years in ministry. Looking through the scrapbooks tonight I came across the pages from when my husband retired as pastor. (This was his first retirement. He came out of retirement twice – once to serve with me as worship pastors, once […]
We all love super heroes! Iron Man Spider-Man Batman Captain America Green Arrow Hulk Aquaman Ant-Man Thor And the list could go on and on. We have a love affair with super heroes. We dress up like them. Our children carry backpacks with their images. We buy comic books, watch movies and TV shows where […]
In our worship today we sang about the Lion and the Lamb. Those two terms are often used in Christian circles to describe Jesus. But what a contrast! Think of a lion. The mighty king of the jungle. He is big, he has a tremendous roar. He symbolizes power and strength. Lions have often been […]
I have a birthday coming this spring. As I realize I will be three quarters of a century old and I have fewer days ahead of me than behind, I have been doing a lot of reflecting on the years gone by. Interesting – sometimes I cannot remember what I had for lunch but memories […]
