By the Way | Holy Days, Holidays and the Super Bowl

By the Way | Holy Days, Holidays and the Super Bowl

America enters its high holy days this week: the run-up to Super Bowl Sunday. When thousands of spectators and millions of viewers witness the Super Bowl kickoff on Sunday, they will be participating in a ritual that has become every bit as entrenched in American life...
Wisdom Wherever You Find It: Is This Heaven?

Wisdom Wherever You Find It: Is This Heaven?

There is usually a bit of timeless wisdom that inspires these columns of mine. I will admit that the quotation that provoked this column — “Is this heaven?” — makes no sense out of context. Here is a link to a video of a little more than seven minutes that...
The Power of Words

The Power of Words

Words can have amazing power, so long as we grant it to them. In a story familiar by now, a popular Catholic priest in Arizona had to resign when someone realized he had been using one wrong word when performing baptisms. Andres Arango had served three different...
Returning to the Baptismal Waters

Returning to the Baptismal Waters

Returning to the baptismal waters was more emotional than I ever expected. Recently, I was asked to baptize a young woman named Kate in the church where I served for 11 years. As a pastor with over two decades of local congregational experience, I grew accustomed to...