Bil Aulenbach My first trip to Europe was in 1960. I was a bachelor who had just graduated from seminary and been ordained. I spent the summer exploring Europe. I had heard about this little island a half mile off the coast of Normandy called Mont Saint-Michel, first established as a monastic shelter in 708 CE. On … Read more
The United States will have an old new (or is it new old?) president after Donald Trump is sworn in on January 20, 2025. Disclaimer: he is not my president. Many, including me, find themselves living with a nagging sense of helplessness and hopelessness. I have to be extremely careful not to be sucked into … Read more
On our daily walk, Annie and I started listening to a book by Oprah Winfrey called What I Know for Sure (Flatiron, 2014). The book’s title came about when film critic Gene Siskel interviewed Oprah and asked, “What do you know for sure?” It caught Oprah off guard, and she couldn’t come up with an … Read more
I am a big Amazon user. I shop there, read Kindle e-books, watch movies, listen to Audible audiobooks, and utilize many of the other services available to Prime members. About a month ago, I saw a new book entitled The Boys of Riverside with a photo on the cover of eight young football players. Immediately, because … Read more
Gillem asks, Please, people of the USA, stop considering yourselves the masters of the world, in the style of the citizens of the old SPQR (the senate and people of Rome). First put peace and justice in your own country, then you can think about influencing the many countries that you invade and dominate. This … Read more
For thirty-five years, I have never broken my New Year’s resolution: not to make any resolutions. But this year is different. I must have a resolution. Here it is: we must not allow Donald Trump, the Republican Party, or the incoming Congress to change or violate any part of our Declaration of Independence or Constitution. … Read more
José asks, Does being religious make people moral? My immediate answer is no! Being religious doesn’t automatically make people moral. It’s a difficult question, though, so let’s look at some different thoughts. For starters, I thought I was a Christian for years. Then along came the Evangelicals (Fundamentalists) who today operate so far from what … Read more
For years, I found church worship services boring, repetitious, uninspiring, and almost worthless. The format was always the same except on the first Sunday when it was Holy Communion, which was equally unexciting. The reenactment of the Last Supper, a powerful drama, was usually boring and confusing. What was its significance? The institution has been … Read more
The concept of marriage in 2024 is very different from when I was born in 1932. Few people were shacking up or having premarital sex (supposedly), and for the most part, marriage ceremonies were performed in churches and synagogues, not by judges or court clerks. I met my Anne in 1960 and wanted to marry … Read more
Carol asks, Why does the church talk about sin so much, especially in Evangelical and Roman Catholic churches? It seems clergy and parishioners constantly talk about it, and it makes me uncomfortable. I agree with you, Carol. Let me start with Jesus. He was born, lived, and died as a Jew. His ministry primarily was … Read more