Advent: Hearing Bells On Christmas Day
Our final thoughts on this Advent season take us to the first pronouncement of a coming Messiah and Mary’s account of why deity incarnated.
Advent: Believing In What’s Impossible
The message of the Fourth Sunday of Advent leads us to believe in the possible part of impossible.
Advent: Finding Joy In The Midst of Despair
How do we find joy in the midst of a pandemic that leaves many empty places at the table?
Redemption: Advent in a Time of Turmoil
May the Peace of Justice find us embracing repentance and redemption not only for ourselves but for those who we may not consider worthy.
Advent In A Pandemic
What in our future is worthy of anticipation? The following article was first published November 29 on Facebook Today is the first Sunday of Advent in the Christian tradition. Around the world, churches are lighting candles, hanging the green, and enduring bad versions of Magnificat. Secularly, it marks the beginning …
Who Are We?
Our actions during the pandemic betray what we claim as our national identity. We are not nice people.
What If We Don’t
What if we choose to not return to the old normal? We have an opportunity to better our world, but will we?
The Church Between Me And Music I Love
All I wanted to do was listen to a wonderful pipe organ. A church got in the way.
Summoning Reluctant Spirits of the Holidays
References to Charles Dickens abound as the spirits of past years are summoned in search of a hopeful spirit for the holidays.
Conversation With A Mad Man
I talk to myself because sometimes I need expert advice. This is one of those times.
2020 Is Almost Here And I'm Already Disappointed
All predictions were that we would be a great society by 2020. Those predictions were wrong. 2020 is already disappointing.
Are We Fit Enough To Stay Alive?
It’s my birthday, but how many of us will be here for the next one? We’re dying too quickly and that’s a problem!
Searching For Legacy In Fear Of Being Forgotten
The New Yorker scooped my planned topic so we got all depressed and went this direction instead.
Being Creative Is Scary And I Need A Drink
Being creative and maintaining that creativity raises a lot of questions and doubts and the fear that we’re all going mad.
We’re Not Getting Enough Sleep And It’s Killing Us
[Annoying copy reminding people I need to eat at least once a week. Either buy something or drop us some cash.] An editorial reminder that links in this article appear bold and italicized. We don’t color or underline them. Please, click the links. Our personal health depends on learning how …
Five Things No One Needs To Fear
There is a lot of fear in our lives and many are unnecessary. We look at five fears you no longer need.
Name Calling Aside, Saving The Planet Requires Being Radical
Rhetoric is irrelevant; climate change now threatens everything, eliminating the opportunity for a measured response. Note: I realize that since we’ve spent 20 weeks with the novel there haven’t been a large number of links in what we’ve written. Our links are not underlined or colored, they’re bold italic. When …
Being Perfect Doesn’t Make Life Better
Striving for perfection sounds like a good thing right up until the point it causes a heart attack, or ruins a relationship, or makes life suck. We need to let go of perfection everywhere we can.
Good Guys, Bad Guys, And The Ethical Problem Of Nationalism
We have fallen victim to the good guy/bad guy mythology of Nationalism and it is a large part of what fuels our intolerance and racism.
Planetary Abortion: Saving The Lives That Matter
There has been a lot of incendiary talk about abortion this week but if we truly value life we have to realize it’s the planet we’re about to abort.
Replacing WWJD With WDJS
Asking What Would Jesus Do (WWJD) is the wrong question. Instead, one should ask What Did Jesus Say? (WDJS)
Remembering Rachel Held Evans
News of the death of Rachel Held Evans shook us hard. We look back at the original article that brought her to our attention.
This Is Where We Are Now
Have we reached a state of permanent dystopia and injustice or are there some things we’re missing? We look at the numbers across the board.
Enduring The Crucible of Self-Creation
Creating our own identity is a challenge that tests our resolve and determination but we come out stronger in the end.
Enduring The Crucible of Self-Creation, pt. 2
Creating our own identity is a challenge that tests our resolve and determination but we come out stronger in the end.
It’s Friday, But Sunday’s Coming
The late S. M. Lockridge’s famous poetic sermon is a classic piece of religious literature but we felt the need to update it to reflect modern concerns.
Petty Annoyances That Keep Me Grumpy
I often am accused of being a grumpy old man. Here are five reasons for why I’m less than pleasant.
Modern Language: Talking The Talk That Others Talk
Language is constantly changing. What it means to speak English is different now than it was last year. The older we get the more challenging it is to keep up.
Pondering Our Place In The Universe
Time got the best of me this week and there simply wasn’t enough time to complete my thoughts on the topic I had chosen for this post. Fortunately, there are alternatives. From the beginning of time, humans have questioned why we are here, what is our purpose. Religions were created …
The White Guy’s Guide To NOT Being A Jackass
So many white guys are running around being a jackass apparently they need some help knowing how to behave. We’ve written this for them.
The Old Man’s Guide to Fall Fashion
The A/W 2019 fashion season dominated my entire month of February and some of March. Here’s a recap
Reclaiming The Lost Art Of Reading
You know you don’t read enough. You know you want to be reading a lot more. We’ve broken the article into chunks to make reading easier.
Exploring Love Stories From The Past
Love. Sometimes it comes in a minute, sometimes it doesn’t come at all.
Wait, Let’s Talk About This
Before we blindly accept what we’re reading, perhaps we would do better to sit and discuss them a while.
Save Yourself, Save Humanity … From The Robots
Humanity is in danger of extinction for many different directions. How do we save humanity? By saving ourselves first. This isn’t at all selfish.
Listening To New Music With Old Ears
We listened to 75 of this year’s Grammy Awards nominees. Here is the Old Man’s opinion.
The Last Song I Ever Hear
Of all the music one hears in their life, what would you want to be the last song you hear before you die?
Finding Success Without The Trophies
Awards season is here. While the Golden Globes are already passed, we still have to suffer through the Critic’s Choice Awards tonight (the 13th), the Screen Actors Guild Awards January 27, the Directors Guild Awards February 2, the GRAMMY Awards February 10, the British Academy Film Awards February 20, the …