Dear Caldwell, Today and tonight we enter what is known as the Triduum (three days), the final days before Easter, of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday. It’s been said that Easter has no meaning without what we remember in these days. Of all years, we are reminded that we cannot be Easter people without fully …
Dear Caldwell, Grace and peace to you! In these strange days when the clouds seem to hover, literally outside today and figuratively over our world, I pray you can sense God’s presence with and around you. The headlines bring news that seems to grow more grim by the hour and our stay-at-home experience is already …
Dear Caldwell, The church grounds seem so empty without you, without the life that animates these old rooms and hallways. Rick Rogers and I have been coming in – and keeping a safe distance – to keep things going, check the mail, meet service providers and vendors and do the business of the church that …
Oh! brethren, my way, my way’s cloudy, my way, Go send them angels down, Oh! brethren, my way, my way’s cloudy, my way, Go send them angels down. Old Satan’s mad, and I am glad, Send them angels down, He missed the soul he thought he had, O send them angels down. – My Way’s …
Dear Caldwell, We are all seeing, hearing and reading a lot about the coronavirus. According to all of the official sources, it poses a real threat and is likely to expand before it subsides. That said, it’s vitally important that we react with calm and reasoned preparations and actions. Each year, all of us are …
Dear Caldwell, We’ve been taking on some big, hard discussions lately – not the least of which is Jesus’ admonition in Matthew 5 that we are to take the initiative in reconciling with our opponents and “enemies.” (Reminder: we will be spending more time tonight unpacking that scripture and Sunday’s conversation tonight at 7 at Hawthorne’s for …
Dear Caldwell, One of the great comforts of life is knowing when we are right and when our enemies are wrong. Feels great, doesn’t it? To fire off that email or Tweet. To share that meme. To grumble about our opponent behind his or her back. Sure, we know that they might not like us much, either. …
Dear Caldwell, We’ve dedicated this year to the theme of Holy Conversations: Who We Are and Whose We Are. As we travel from Sunday to Sunday this week, God gives us many angles by which we can consider those questions. First, as part of Black History Month, we are remembering and celebrating black history in worship and in …
Dear Caldwell, It’s a difficult thing to be “called out.” We say something offensive or hurtful. We forget an obligation. We show up unprepared for something. To be called out is to be told directly that we didn’t do something well, we did it half-heartedly, or we just didn’t do it at all. That’s a tough moment …
Dear Caldwell, I pray that the King holiday granted you some time to rest and reflect a bit on on our ongoing call to build a more just world. Calling, in fact, is at the center of this week’s focus at Caldwell. After our time in worship Sunday at the well with Jesus and the Samaritan woman …
