It was on January 3, 1899 that The New York Times used the word “automobile” in an editorial, the first known use of that word in English. What would eventually come to be known as automobiles were still very new items, and the first mass production of them in America was two years away. The…

It’s not everyday I think of Jon Cryer and George Buttrick at the same time, but I did today. Our associate pastor quoted Buttrick in her sermon this morning as she talked about the Magi: So we may notice here the beckonings of God. Beckoning: it’s a great word, and it set my mind sailing…

To kick off the new year, I want to reach back to words from my friend, David Gentiles. This quote was printed on the order of service at his memorial. It captures his spirit and is worth passing along: Well, I know that when you’ve been betrayed and attacked and hurt, you sometimes just throw…

Early in the morning I’m getting on a plane for Austin, Texas to go and both say goodbye to and celebrate the life of my friend David Gentiles. I fly back to Durham early Thursday. As I was trying to find words for my final post of the year (since I don’t imagine getting to…

I’ve been trying to keep up with the news around the Nigerian man who tried to light some type of explosive on a plane landing in Detroit on Christmas Day. I’ve been trying to keep up mostly because I’m getting on a flight to Austin on Wednesday to go to the memorial service for my…

Even though I went back to work on the second day of Christmas, I’ve been thinking more about what Christmastide means. Once we get to the manger, it seems, we find it hard to stay for very long. As far as the culture goes, our economy can’t afford for us to have too long of…

It was some time after seminarymy best friend, Burt, got married,and then a few more years beforethey had a child. I remembercalling one day; he answered,saying he was lying on the bedlooking at the baby. I asked,“Do you ever look down and say,‘You’re going to stay here?’” Something about this day after,this morning beyond the…

I noticed tonight, as we were singing carols in our Christmas Eve service, that our hymnal has five verses to “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear,” my favorite carol. I find deep comfort in what I have known as the third verse, which I know has been quoted more than once here: and you beneath…

If you want to be in power,you have to have money;if you want to be invited,you have to be somebody;if you want to be in charge,you had better be rich;if you want to be noticed,you’d better know somebody.That’s the way of this world:this tiny planet, tucked awayin a fold of the universe,not the best or…

And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. (Luke 2:6 KJV) I first learned the story the same wayLinus told it: in language so oldthat some of the words had been lostor forgotten, others changed. No one says, “the days were accomplished”anymore, unless you’re Linus…