Letter
At a church conference long ago, a priest encouraged us to write to prisoners. I sat in the back next to the wall. My mind wandered. I wished I had a newspaper. I was certainly not thinking that I should write to prisoners. Then the priest said, “There is one prisoner no one has been…
Lichter
Eric Lichter told of being at a Shabbat (Sabbath) dinner at the home of a rabbi in Jerusalem. There, Eric spoke plainly of his, “… displeasure with and possible disbelief in God.” The rabbi replied that Eric’s questioning of the existence and benevolence of God was, “… proof of his being a true Jew, unafraid…
Hope
Eighteen now, he was living at the homeless shelter. He left home to get away from an abusive stepfather. Once out the door, dumb choices and bad luck landed him at the shelter. I asked if going home might be better than the shelter. Very clearly not. He was on his own now, there was…
Photo
I was 21 when I hired on. I worked in various locations and ended up at the company headquarters. It was good work and good pay but no one stayed long. Outside the president’s office, a big bulletin board with a sign: “Gone But Not Forgotten!” Thumbtacked to the cork, maybe a hundred photos of…
Paris
In 1963, my mother had a summer’s work in Paris. I, barely a teenager, went with her. Paul, the son of my mother’s co-worker, was a few years older. Still, we became good friends. Paul spoke French and knew Paris well. We traipsed about Paris … the Louvre … Notre Dame … Eiffel Tower ……
Prayer
I think about prayer … what prayer is, what prayer means and how I should pray. Author Anne Lamott says her two best prayers are, “Help me, help me, help me!” and “Thank you, thank you, thank you!” She may be right and it would be hard to forget the words. My Dad believed that…
Moving
Ed sold his house. He said it was a nice little place on a cul-de-sac with a garden and a big tree for shade. But Ed was moving. He always complained about the trains. I like trains and couldn’t imagine why a train would bother anyone. They sure bothered Ed. I went to help him…
Driver Education
Behind a driver doing 20 in a 30 mph zone, the traffic light ahead was green. But, at the first sign of yellow, on went the brakes, then the left-turn signal and we were stopped. At last, the light turned green again. The car ahead didn’t move so I offered the tiniest little honk of…
Respite
In the city, tired and hot, I looked for a green park with a stream but saw only beer halls and soda shops. Then a little church, red doors locked tight except the last I tried, it opened with a rush of cool air. I was alone. I drank from the water fountain, sat in…
Test
Scripture’s plain: “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” I did. Once. In a graveyard. I said, “OK, God! If you’re here, show yourself!” I waited. Minutes passed. Then it came, traversing the field of tombstones, a shadow from the distant tree-line, quick, silent and right at me. I ducked! The shadow went…
Did You Know? – Deacon Josh
The Rev. Josh Butler is a Vocational Deacon in the Diocese of Ohio.
It is the deacon who ends the service, dismissing the congregation to go out in the community to serve. In his Deacon’s Dismissal, Josh offers reflections to strengthen and inspire us in our call to service.
