Author Archives: reallifepastor

They were hunkered down, frightened, sheltered-in-place.  Their world had changed overnight. They couldn’t imagine what the next days would hold. All they knew was that Jesus was gone.  In their grief, their uncertainty, their fear, they drew together.  These were … Continue reading →

In a meeting with one of my clergy groups this week, we talked a lot about the “both-and-ness” of the times we’re living in. The number of Covid cases in our country has topped 300,000.  There have been 8,400 deaths.  … Continue reading →

Anybody need a haircut?   I hate getting haircuts, but I’d give my eyeteeth for one right now.  I did see a video where a hairdresser tried to cut someone’s hair from six feet away.  I think a broom might … Continue reading →

Wednesday Prayer (4/1/2020)   Welcome   Silence   Poem:  “Wild Geese,” by Mary Oliver   Hymn            Won’t You Let Me Be Your Servant? BEACH SPRING   Won’t you let me be your servant, let me … Continue reading →

March 17th, I got a text from Dennis, our flower guru, asking if we should cancel our order for Easter lilies.  Together, we decided that, yes, we probably needed to cancel the order.  The next morning, this poem emerged. Today, … Continue reading →

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Gospel Lesson   MATTHEW 6:25-34 ‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the … Continue reading →

Wednesday Prayer (3/25/2020) Welcome Silence Poem:  “The Peace of Wild Things,” by Wendell Berry Song                   Give Peace                Taize Give peace to every heart.  Give … Continue reading →

So, here’s how the story could have gone. As Jesus walked along, he saw someone who had been blind from birth.  The disciples asked Jesus, “Rabbi, was it this individual’s sin that caused the blindness, or that of the parents?”  “Neither,” … Continue reading →

I woke up yesterday morning thinking about Paul’s shipwreck at the end of the book of Acts.  I’m not sure why.  Maybe because, like Paul and his companions on the ship in the Mediterranean, everything was going along fine…until it … Continue reading →