Monthly Archives: February 2019

100 years ago today the Grand Canyon was declared a National Park. We pulled into the lodge at the Grand Canyon after a long drive from Denver. It was late. We immediately registered and went to our room. In the … Continue reading →

Sitting in the cafeteria of an inner city hospital in Newark the four of us were talking about our commute to work. I voiced my awareness of the deep breath I took as I entered the on-ramp for the interstate … Continue reading →

I recently became aware that there was a “Thought of the Day” blog from one of my favorite writers Frederick Buechner. A friend quoted it in his blog. Today’s “Thought” contains a quote Buechner uses from Carl Jung. The quote … Continue reading →

For many years, while teaching about human communication, I would say that I am never sure what I have said until I hear your response. This partially based on a theory of human personality types and it was partially based … Continue reading →

Jerry was a suicidal young man recently admitted to the psych hospital. He also had a steak of anger/depression. The nurse was asking him to take his meds and he was refusing. She informed him that if he did not … Continue reading →

He came from a small village in northwest Iowa. This was his third admission to a church-related psychiatric hospital. He was forced to go by his wife, his minister, and his church. The problem? He kept sneaking away to a … Continue reading →

In 2018 there were a number of obituaries of people he knew. Peers his own age from high school and college and seminary and various stops along the way. Now, well into 2019 he realizes that three of them continue … Continue reading →

For over eight months our congregation in downtown Kalamazoo has been providing an older Pakistani woman sanctuary from ICE agents who are seeking to deport her back to a country she left many years ago. Her husband was deported several … Continue reading →

My amazing dream last night featured a ten-foot-long alligator in my yard…yes, in Michigan. We watched him from the upper level deck as he patrolled the backyard and slowly meandered among the shrubs. Suddenly he stopped still, appearing to be … Continue reading →