PENTECOST AND FIRE AWARENESS

One of humankind’s first and greatest achievements was mastering fire, learning to control and harness potentially destructive power for human good. Almost all the technological innovations upon which our lives depend rely on the mastery of fire. When we turn on our ovens, we are relying on human technology for controlling and using fire for our benefit. When we turn on our bedroom lights, the chain of connections runs eventually back to a coal- or gas-fired ...

UP, UP, AND AWAY

On Sunday, 12 May, we observe the feast of the Ascension that celebrates the end of Jesus’ resurrection appearances and his ascending to heaven. Ascension itself is this Thursday and not on a Sunday. It always falls 40 days after Easter, which typically means Ascension Day itself is on a Thursday. Many congregations move their Ascension observance to the following Sunday out of convenience.

If you visit Jerusalem, you can make your way to the Chapel of ...

SOMETHING THERE IS THAT DOESN’T LOVE A WALL

I’ve used the mild days this week to pick up winter’s debris around our yard and to mend some of the damage caused by snow, ice, and freezing temperatures. Doing so brought to mind one of Robert Frost’s best-known poems. In “Mending Wall,” he describes how he and his neighbor go after the spring thaw to mend the wall that defines the boundary between their farms.
Something there is that doesn’t love ...