Category: Pastors’ Letters

I have too many books. Maybe the trouble is that I have too many bookcases. Having so many places to put books—at home, in my office, in our living room, …

On Staten Island, there’s an Italian restaurant called “Enoteca Maria.” Actually, it is only half an Italian restaurant, because the other half of the menu changes daily. The fixed half …

After Ash Wednesday services, I always walk away with a darkly smudged thumb on my right hand. That is because I have pressed that finger into the ashes several dozen …

This year the month of March rests firmly in the season of Lent. Ash Wednesday literally occurs on the first day of the month, and when we turn over our …

Fill in the blank: When I think of my body right now, I’m not very fond of my (blank). The answer to this question should not be influenced by America’s …

The noted African American theologian and pastor Howard Thurman published a short devotional book called Meditations of the Heart. In it he shared this brief anecdote: Years ago, walking along …

I’m not sure if nativity scenes on Christmas cards actually catch the moment we should be remembering as this crazy year winds to a close. Don’t get me wrong—remembering the …

When I think about Thanksgiving, there are two images that come to mind. The first is the “greeting card” image of a Thanksgiving meal—turkey, potatoes, vegetables, rolls—arrayed on a large …

Our dog Elphie has a significant limp at the moment. She’s an 11-year old black Labrador, and midway through a romp through Frick Park she suddenly stopped, elevated her back …