Dearly beloved, This past week I met with a newly formed group from within the larger community to talk about ways in which we may foster greater compassion and kindness in our area. We continue to see the ways in which divisiveness and lack of respect & compassion affect our...

Dearly beloved, Our readings this week move from the call of Moses to the Ten Commandments in Deuteronomy. This last book of the Pentateuch (first 5 books of the Hebrew Bible) is a series of sermons by Moses as the people of Israel prepare to enter the promised land. The...

Dearly beloved, Here is a letter from Wycliffe Associates thanking us for the stamp donations we make: Dear Trinity Lutheran Friends, Thank you for the large shopping bag of stamps that Ralph delivered to us. We will take them to Florida during our trip in November. I hope that we...

Dearly beloved, Wrestling is not one of those sports that I tend to watch (football is my sport of choice – Go Bills!). Yet, I have often found myself wrestling over the years – it seems to happen most often at night, accompanied by worries and imagined scenarios. This week,...

Dearly beloved, Phew! Not liking this heat whatsoever! It is as “Mother Nature” is angry with us. “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1 & 2) and instructed humanity to till and keep it. Earlier translation often spoke of humanity “having dominion” over creation. This...