Sometimes when we get old, we get crabby. We forget how teenage boys have hollow-leg hunger. We tend to value garden flowers above the laughter and frolic of young people playing water games and laughing and showing us that it is the present moment that holds value, laughter that holds promise and fellowship that becomes [...]
The holy conferencing of the people called Methodists in the North Carolina Annual Conference comes to a close today with the setting of the appointments for the coming year. The various worship services, music, reports, voting, speeches from the floor are always something to behold.
But for this Methodist pastor, the high point of the conference [...]
The television reporter stood in the cemetary “between the crosses row on row” saying to the viewing public, “This is why we have Memorial Day.” On Saturday morning before the holiday, the reporter had strolled the local mall asking random people, “Why do we have Memorial Day as a holiday?” There were a few who [...]
I am a choir director. And I am sure that some of the choir members will be mortified to know this – but I can pick out each individual voice in the choir. I know when someone is not there because I miss the sound of their voice. That doesn’t mean the choir sounds better [...]
This past Sunday night, St. Mark’s hosted the second annual Staff versus Youth Basketball Game. The proceeds from the game are used to help fund the youth group’s annual Appalachia Service Project mission work. For those who may have forgotten like I tried to, the youth won last year’s game in convincing fashion. So this year’s [...]
For the past two months I have been on a walking kick. It is a lot of fun and I really enjoy getting out and walking. One of my favorite places to walk is around Lake Lynn. There is a really nice paved path around the lake. Oh, did I mention that it is flat [...]
Twice in the past two weeks Tom and I have been fortunate to be in the company of good story tellers whose recounting of their lives and their experiences in the story opened windows of understanding, knowing, and thanksgiving for both the storyteller and the gifts of life observed and well lived.
Garry Lipson is my brother [...]
So I ate dinner with my shirt off tonight…
Lest you fear, it is not a frequent occurrence at my house. In fact I don’t think I have ever eaten dinner at the kitchen table without my shirt on before tonight. However in this case it kept the peace and allowed my son to believe that [...]
For the past two years we have taken the girls of our youth group on a girl’s retreat. One of our youth families has graciously offered a family beach house for us to use. It is located in Holden Beach which is close to South Carolina (Will be important later). We always arrive late Friday [...]
Just in case anyone has missed the news, SOOHI – the Saint Mark’s Stretching Out Our Hands Inititiative is operational! On Sunday, May 3rd, we were fed a wonderful meal and given excellent workshop advice. For a first day, the effort was a roaring success. For a pastor to see and be part of ministry [...]
