We were filled up in some ways and drained in others as we gathered for worship this morning, back on campus at Kent State University following the Fall Retreat. I was emotionally elated for the ways that steps of faith … Continue reading
I’ve been wondering: If I’m truly going to heed the warnings that I’ve heard from God, keeping my cape in the closet and faithfully farming my forty acres, particularly prioritizing the need to experience and exude the presence of God … Continue reading
Pith can be defined as “the essence of something.” Pithy as “concise and forcefully expressive.” These two words, in both noun and adjective form, are terms of power and wisdom. So how did these words settle into a negative association … Continue reading
Today marks the 50th anniversary of the shipwreck of the largest sailing vessel in the history of the Great Lakes. I was going to include some of the lore and some reflections on the potential symbolism of this historical event … Continue reading
The beginning-of-the-new-school-year floodwaters have crested, after our H2O Kent Welcome Worship Gathering, Picnic, Sport Outreach, and Surveys at Blastoff. Things should start normalizing in Kent from this point, forward. There will still be some further “flooding,” later this week, in … Continue reading
I’ve made it my sabbatical mission to worship with other branches of the extended “Family Tree” through the first half of 2025 while also making a point to keep circling back around to H2O Kent, my home church, every three … Continue reading
I recently finished reading Wendell Berry’s novel, Jayber Crow: The Life Story of Jayber Crow, Barber, of the Port William Membership, as Written by Himself. I’ve read it before (twice, I think). In fact, one might say that Jayber Crow was my … Continue reading
Considering all of the practical challenges described previously, my February Hike on the Buckeye Trail ended up being something of a fight for survival. That kind of external stress doesn’t lend itself to deep reflection on one’s internal spaces. Still, … Continue reading
The change from one calendar year to another brings an opportunity for retrospection. After posting my I’ve posted my Top Ten Songs of 2024, Top Ten Books of 2024, and Top Ten Hikes of 2024, I want to turn my attention to things that … Continue reading
I have to admit that I kind of rolled my eyes when I learned my Mom and two of my siblings made the executive decision to call today’s commemoration of the death of my Dad, a “Celebration of Life” instead … Continue reading