Will You Be OK? 9 October 2024 An old story involving a Chinese farmer is a favorite of most preachers. Have you heard it? A farmer and his son had a beloved horse who helped the family earn a living. One day, the horse ran away and their neighbors exclaimed, “Your horse ran away, what terrible luck!” The farmer …
Yes, But . . . 2 October 2024 YES, periodic flooding yields many positive effects for our wonderful planet: Floods promote aquifer recharges. Floods spread nutrients and sediments that enrich floodplain soils, making them fertile for agriculture and forestry. Flooding provides suitable breeding conditions for many bird and fish species, such as sturgeon and willow trees. Flooding at the right …
Down on the Corner Word from Wiese 25 September 2024 “Down on the Corner” is a peppy song from one of my favorite ‘70’s bands, Credence Clearwater Revival. The lyrics describe a joyful scene of a corner full of musicians, playing their instruments at the end of the workday “trying to lift you up.” Well, lately there’s been a little …
The Voice Word from Wiese 18 September 2024 The Voice died last week. Throughout many of our lives, James Earl Jones’ voice etched a permanent place in our memory banks. For those who grew up with the Star Wars saga, his voice empowers Darth Vader. “Luke, I am your father!” For you Field of Dreams fans, Jones’ voice urges the …
I Don’t Want To 11 September 2024 I don’t want to write this WFW. And you probably don’t want to read it. Much easier for both of us to stick our heads in the sand. But seven days have passed since the school shooting in Winder, Georgia, just 60 miles up the road. (And if our country’s pace of mass …
The Sweet Spot of Labor Word from Wiese 4 September 2024 Dear Friends in Faith, Growing up, the rock group Loverboy produced the hit, “Everybody’s Working for the Weekend.” Weekends are fun. Including three-day weekends like the recent Labor Day Weekend. But it’s a bit sad if the song also implies our Monday through Friday workweeks must be endured while …
Hair Word from Wiese 28 August 2024 Dear Friends in Faith, After worship a few weeks ago, I greeted the incomparable Betty Schmidt. After bravely enduring some cancer treatments, Betty’s hair was growing back wonderfully. She looked beautiful and I told her so. And then I added, “Betty, you’re styling even more hair than I am!” Without missing a …
Grounding Marks Word from Wiese 21 August 2024 Marks on the ground can be very instructive. Marks on the ground inform where pickle-ballers are in danger of the “kitchen,” basketballers can shoot for the 3-pointer instead of 2, and receivers must get their toes in for the game winning-catch. Marks on the ground can tell us where to park or …
Scratching Before Bed Word from Wiese 16 August 2023 Breezy, our rescue dog of 18 months, accidentally ripped a mattress pad. Fresh out of the laundry, the cover was strewn on the living room floor with the rest of the laundry waiting to be folded. Looking like a comfy place for a nap, Breezy launched her rest-time ritual: she walked …
Stones of Significance Word from Wiese 14 August 2024 In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean . . . blue. 400 years later, in 1892, Germans installed blue—and many other colors—tiles high atop the tower of the Castle Church in Wittenberg Germany. The very church where Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses which launched the Protestant Reformation in 1517. The tiles …
