Life

Do you ever go to church hoping you have enough snacks and “stuff” to keep your child quiet and occupied throughout the worship service? Many of us are familiar with the stigmatizing saying that children “should be seen and not heard,” in places that often include...

Coupons, rainchecks and rebates were my dad’s way of saving money on groceries and other household items. Because of this, even as a young child I understood what “redeeming” meant. Dad redeemed coupons a little like he played cards. He knew just what coupon to play,...

When my husband, Joe, and I moved into our first house In May 2014, we spied squash vines growing along a wooden fence next to our driveway. Being new homeowners—and not exactly avid gardeners—we decided to let the vines grow and see what would result. That June, to...

By Elise Seyfried Statistics indicate that a person who dies by suicide is most likely to be a white or Native American male, aged 55 to 75. Men are three times more likely than women to die by suicide. But statistics don’t tell a complete story. Deaths of despair...

Help create a safer world for kids. Did you know that the number of children and teens killed by gunfire in the United States increased 50 percent between 2019 and 2021, and that gun violence became the leading cause of death for U.S. children and teens in 2020? The...

By Elise Seyfried SOMETIMES, DURING WORSHIP, we are asked to remember our baptism. We watch the welcome of a little one at the font. We listen to a confirmand’s words during the Affirmation of Baptism. I must confess: These are not my favorite parts of the liturgy. I...

God wants us to take care of our world. My young son Richard showed me that years ago when he found a wounded bird, a Robin, in our backyard. He named it “John”. Richard ran in and said we had to save him. His dad and I realized that this Robin was one of God’s...

Not everyone enjoys the holidays. For some of us, this time of year dredges up fresh waves of grief over our loved ones who are no longer with us. Some worry about pulling off a picture-perfect celebration or the effect seasonal shopping marathons have on their...

By Kathryn Haueisen— I’m embarrassed about how many times I’ve changed my address. Sometimes I’ve moved within the same zip code or to a nearby one. Many times, I have moved far enough that I’ve had to change pretty much every detail of daily life. Whenever that...

By Karen Wright Marsh THE REFORMER MARTIN LUTHER (1483-1546) gave out a great deal of advice, much of it documented in his 3,000 letters to parishioners, friends and family members, princes and commoners. Topping the pastor’s “Don’t” list: lying late abed, gluttony,...

By Elise Seyfried WHEN I WAS YOUNG, I spent a lot of time with my dad’s mom, my beloved Nana. Nana would rent a cottage at the New Jersey shore for the whole summer and invite our family down for weeks at a time. It was a welcome respite from the brutal New York City...

The miraculous in the common by Jennifer Grant THE GROUNDSKEEPERS have just mowed the park. Walking across the meadow, I kick at thick, matted clumps of grass. Then I spy, a few feet ahead of me, a lone dandelion standing up straight. About six or seven inches tall,...

Jesus overcomes all barriers.. by Angela !Khabeb YOU ARE PROBABLY FAMILIAR with the story of “Doubting Thomas.” Thomas is a man on a journey of faith, known by a moniker that he did not really earn. Thomas is the person who basically tells the other disciples: “Let’s...