Well, what a good Thanksgiving we had. It might be my favorite holiday. I like the constancy of Thanksgiving, the timelessness. Thanksgiving in 2024 feels like it felt when I […]
Tag: importance
Things We Got Just Right (We Value Experience Over Belief)
This happened maybe 30 years ago, when I attended a conference for Quaker pastors down in Orlando. Someone had the bright idea to get all the Quaker pastors in America […]
What in the World Were We Thinking? (Silence is Good for Everyone)
A friend phoned me recently, asking if he could borrow our Ford Flex. He didn’t say why he needed it, and I didn’t want to appear nosy, because if there’s […]
Quaker Qualities (Consistent Compassion)
This past week, I was at the bank and noticed the young woman working as a teller had her preferred pronouns, “she/her,” written on her name tag, just after her […]
Quaker Qualities (Osmosing)
Many years ago, I had the opportunity to meet a prominent Quaker who had studied at several of our Quaker colleges and universities and had written extensively about Quakerism. He […]
How to Die Before You’re Dead (8)
VIEW VIDEO One of humanity’s biggest problems is that people who think they’re wonderful often aren’t, and people who are wonderful seldom believe they are. It’s nearly impossible to persuade […]
How to Die Before You’re Dead (5)
VIEW VIDEO We’re having family Thanksgiving on Friday this year, which would have been unthinkable when I was a kid, like having church on Monday instead of Sunday. It just […]
How to Die Before You’re Dead (4)
VIEW VIDEO When I was 6 years-old, my great-uncle Fritz died and I wanted to go to his funeral, not because I was especially fond of him, I barely knew […]
How to Die Before You’re Dead (2)
VIEW VIDEO It is good to be back with you. Last week, you’ll remember, was our Sunday for unprogrammed worship, which, since time immemorial, has been held on the fifth […]
Every Child in Every Picture
After my parents passed away, my brother David gathered all the family pictures together, divvied them up into five separate piles, based on the sibling featured in the photograph. My […]