In September 1519, Ferdinand Magellan left Spain on a quest to find an oceanic trade route to Asia. Magellan didn’t sail east. Others had already pioneered that route around the southern tip of Africa and through the Indian Ocean. Instead, he sailed west across the Atlantic. Would it be possible to connect Europe with China, Japan, and the East Indies by… Read more »
In the minds of many, the apostle Paul’s version of the Good News has been nothing but bad news for women. Two infamous texts stand out. The first is I Corinthians 14:34-35, where he asserts that “women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must remain in submission.” Then in I Timothy 2:11-15 Paul writes, “I… Read more »
Randall Tallerico was terrified. A recent college graduate, he was now a brand-new hire at Robert Solomon and Associates, a top advertising agency in Detroit. During his first week Robert was summoned to see Kathleen Hay, the agency’s creative director. Kathleen was juggling a phone, a cigarette, and a cup of coffee, all the while issuing orders to a stream… Read more »
Many people feel a twinge of disappointment the first time they see The Wizard of Oz. The heroes have journeyed through one obstacle after another in search of some of life’s best gifts: If I only had a brain. If I only had a heart. If I only had courage. If I only could go home. But the Wizard has nothing to… Read more »
Several years ago, a high-rise construction worker experienced the ultimate nightmare. He lost his balance. He would have fallen except that he managed to wrap his fingers around an iron beam. Unfortunately, he didn’t have the strength or the leverage to pull himself back up. He screamed for help. But it was a noisy worksite and everyone on his team was attending… Read more »
Collective nouns are one of the most delightful components of the English language. A collective noun is a word that describes a group of something: a herd of elephants, a pack of wolves, a gaggle of geese, a choir of singers. We hear those examples rather often. Less common collectives can be a hoot: a clowder of cats, a bloat of hippos, a… Read more »
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) is deservedly regarded as one of the great musical composers of all time. During his own lifetime, however, Bach was largely ignored. He did not have a university degree. He had a reputation for being difficult to work with. He became the musical director of the four principal Lutheran churches in Leipzig, Germany, but only after the search… Read more »
On October 4, 1957, 10-year-old Stephen King, the future master of horror, was sitting in the movie theater in downtown Stratford, Connecticut. He and his friends were watching that fabulous 1950s sci-fi flick, Earth vs. the Flying Saucers. A few years later I enjoyed the same movie at the Uptown Theater on the north side of Indianapolis. Earth vs. the Flying Saucers is… Read more »
As the world continues to react with anguish concerning Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, how should we pray? Jack Knox, pastor of the Salem (Oregon) Mennonite Church, has offered the following: Gracious Lord, we dream of a world free of poverty and oppression, and we yearn for a world free of vengeance and violence. We pray for your peace. When our hearts… Read more »
Each year we pause to address some of the questions associated with this day, Ash Wednesday – the first day of Lent. What exactly is Lent? The word comes from the Old English term for “lengthen.” As Easter approaches, the amount of daylight grows longer. More than a thousand years ago, followers of Jesus began to set aside the 40 days… Read more »
