Especially on Easter Sunday when we hear the word “resurrection” I suspect many, if not most of us, think of some version of the Biblical New Testament discussion of Jesus’ death, his bodily disappearance, and his subsequent reappearances to a few women and disciples. That is not my focus this morning. Today we will reflect […]
The Ten Commandments with Dick Smythe How many of the commandments could we name? Do we ever think about them? Do they have any value for us today? Believe it or not, interest in these commandments is alive and well and many thoughtful people have recently reflected and written about their meaning and value for […]
Clarence Jordan – What a Life! with Dick Smythe How many of us have a faith we would die for? How many of us have a faith not only held in spite of evidence but a faith lived in scorn of the consequences? How many of us would continue to hold a faith resulting in […]
Three Stories – Three Lessons with Dick Smythe A huge public library’s astonishing decision that reduces its income by several million dollars. The discovery and subsequent study of ancient North American Indian footprints without any involvement by Native Americans either in their study or subsequent interpretation. An innocent Black man shot dead in his apartment […]
Lessons From a Wolf and Two Grizzly Bears with Dick Smythe About the Message: Many creatures with whom we share this planet, including wolves and bears, have evolved capacities and behaviors that demonstrate both intelligence and the ability to adapt to changes in their environments. This morning I will share two true stories – one […]
A Different Voice with Dick Smythe About the Message: How often do we hear a critique of the church in America from: A black pastor…Former drug dealer…Former sex worker…Former homeless queer teen…Former felon? This morning we will hear from a Lutheran pastor who combines all these attributes. I believe we need to hear what he […]
Nine years ago we had no public discourse and little public awareness of climate change. This August the sixth report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, usually referred to as the IPPC report, was published. In terms not normally used in scientific reporting – “It is unequivocal and established fact that human activities are […]
How many people do you really know? Do you agree with Joan Chittister? Who has written, “…We are becoming a world of cardboard figures, entombed in technology, living in hermetically sealed personal planets. We don’t really know anybody anymore, and nobody really knows us.” We will take a close look at a world famous individual […]
Is the U.S. a scientifically advanced country? Of course it is. The U.S. claims far more Nobel Prizes than any other nation. Most of us carry our own personal computers in our purses or pockets and we would be lost without them. Yet, an unfortunate number of us question the safety and efficacy of vaccines, […]
Sin is not a topic we discuss very often. Do we even remember the “seven deadly sins” of Christian theology? Are they relevant today? If not, how would we answer the question posed by the title of today’s talk? How about some other questions: If you believe in God, what is your god’s job description? […]