Posts Categorized: Pastor’s Ponderings

What if we went for a walk And saw nothing notable- No pretty flowers, No gorgeous sky, No weird items Lying in the street, Neither stranger nor friend To speak to as we pass- What then? Even then, We still had those minutes, Consecrated by the breeze. We still had our thoughts, Sanctified by our… Read more

ISAIAH’S SERMON The one we follow, The one who midwifes justice, He does not whine, he does not shout, He neither whimpers nor sulks. Instead he shelters the dreams of the poor, Nurtures the spirit of the oppressed, Takes each step carefully, As though through the forest at midnight. Passing through the wilderness, He rations… Read more

The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor… Read more

Pfeffernüsse and Zimtsterne, Vanillekipferl and Stolen For Christian and Inge My friend’s mother, Born in Germany, Passed on to him a love- A lust, really- A yearning, a nearly insatiable itch, For baking Christmas treats Pfeffernüsse and Zimtsterne, Vanillekipferl and Stolen, And whenever I was lucky enough To visit during Advent The kitchen counter groaned… Read more

Advent began overcast Cold rain falling down And I was unsure how To summon courage For waiting, Or joy for sharing. But sometimes A wan smile begets A sliver of courage. And sometimes A pinch of courageInvites a grin. And some dark nights A prayer, simply put Brings forth the presence Of someone new, In… Read more

It was Thanksgiving Day, Typical- cold and gray- When I ventured to the garden, Not yet froze, And pulled some beets and kale. It was not hard work, Nor tedious, Too scrub them clean And otherwise prepare them For bean and kale soup And roasted beets For dinner on some future day, But it took… Read more

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.” -Philippians 4:4 In 1968, where we lived, There was still a farm or two That put their corn in shocks. They may have thrown the corn, Stalk and all, to the cattle to eat Over the course of that long winter. I know only that… Read more

It snowed And turned cold And we shivered and moaned. But one happy girl Made a snowball, And two happy kids Pulled a saucer-disc sled, And three curious cats Stared from the window. So be safe, please, And praise the Lord in all things, Praise the Father, Praise the Son, Praise the Holy Ghost- Throw… Read more

I did NOT Need a new tie, I have dozens But it was so, SO Lovely, And I had a discount. Why did I buy it? It said something, Something about me, About my aspirations, About my style and taste, And I thought Tomi would smile When she sees me wear it. Now, shall we… Read more

Our younger cat Comes running when We open the door, And out he goes, Dodging this way and that- Stopping to look, Then off again, Enjoying the new day, Loving his place in the world, Learning as much as he can, And it gives us delight to see. Therefore, I imagine How much God delights… Read more