E-pistles
9/8/2010
Last weekend my sisters and I (and our spouses) were helping Dad clean out some things at his old house. My sister Jill found several very meaningful items which Mother had saved over the years: love letters that Dad sent to her while he was away from her serving in WW II, school papers and achievements from us kids, and other notes Mother took while on various vacations and trips over the years. Some of those items brought tears to our eyes as we read Mother’s thoughts, and of course we...
9/2/2010
I am attending a gathering of most of our active United Methodist bishops in the US (32 are present) and most of the senior pastors of the 100 largest UM congregations in the UMC (89 are present). It is quite a group and quite a gathering, initiated by Adam Hamilton who is senior pastor of The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection – our largest membership United Methodist church in America.
Our agenda: we are talking about how we can work together to help the UMC focus on the...
8/17/2010
My mother loved to have parties, celebrations, and any occasion to get people together and have fun. She and Dad often included others in their own wedding anniversary celebrations and birthday parties. Over the 4th of July holiday, they often hosted a “Craig birthday party” to celebrate the birthdays of my sister, her husband, their son, and their grandson which all fall around the July 4th date (not to mention my sister and her husband’s anniversary which is also that time...
8/10/2010
My mother was always on time, and for her “on time” meant being 15 to 30 minutes early for any event. She was not just punctual, she was nearly compulsive about not being late. Some people might say, “Better late than never,” but Mother would say, “Better never late.” I think part of her sense of urgency about time was due to the fact that her own mother died at age 59 of a sudden heart attack. Mother knew that she carried some of those same dangers in her...
8/3/2010
I continue to share some of the lessons I have learned from my mother, who died on July 15th. This lesson is about grace.
My mother was a very graceful woman. That quality included her ability as a dancer when she was a girl and young woman. We have photos of her dressed in her tap-dancing outfits, and many of her friends (and of course my Dad) have told us what a skilled dancer she was. Some have even suggested that Mother might have become a professional dancer, if not for having her life...
7/28/2010
In my previous E-pistle, I shared about the death of my mother and her funeral which was a wonderful celebration of her life. I want to share some of the things my mother taught me, not to be maudlin or overly sentimental, but simply to share those faith lessons which mean so much to me. Somehow writing has always been “therapy” for me, so please be patient with my sharing in such a personal way, or else hit the “delete” button (and I will never know you did not continue...
7/21/2010
My mother died last Thursday just about exactly two years after she suffered a massive post-operative heart attack and nearly died. In July of 2008 we all waited and prayed while she went through a total of thirteen cardiac arrests. More than once we were called together to say our good-byes, but Mom recovered and we all received two "bonus years" with her. It was not easy for her these past two years, and she struggled with a very weak and damaged heart. Yet her strong spirit kept...
7/12/2010
This past Saturday I attended a briefing of some religious leaders and other community leaders with Senator Richard Lugar. There were only a handful of us present, so it was a wonderful opportunity to sit with this amazing leader who is also a life-long United Methodist. Lugar is now 78 years old, very fit, and extremely sharp and articulate. His mental acuity is amazing.
The briefing dealt with Lugar’s hopes of getting the U.S. Senate to pass the NewSTART Treaty dealing with the...
7/9/2010
It is finally over. After months of hype, speculation, and gossip, we now know that LeBron James has decided to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers and go the Miami Heat. ESPN agreed to give a full hour of TV coverage to a program titled “The Decision” so that LeBron could make his announcement.
Really? Is this the decision? Is it really that important?
The ESPN program was an extended example of narcissism as the sports commentators praised LeBron and then asked him simplistic...
7/1/2010
Last Saturday we had our first-ever Candidacy Retreat here in the Indiana Conference for persons who are just at the beginning of the process of exploring ministry in the United Methodist Church. This idea, which was first proposed by Rev. Sandy Harlan our Associate Director for Clergy Services, was a great way to follow up with persons who came forward during the “call to ministry” part of our ordination service at Annual Conference. It was also a great way to encourage persons who...
