I don’t remember a thing my pastor said in his sermon on my confirmation day. But that was way back in 1977 — 33 years ago — so cut me some slack. So what I say to you young men in white shirts, red ties, and khakis in the next few moments today, (Jack, James, Lars, Steven, and Kevin) I hope and pray you will remember for the foreseeable future at the very least. And to help you, I just happen to have these handy-dandy little green sheets! There just happened to be five of these sermon-notetaking sheets remaining in a pile on the table in the narthex, and since none of you actually made the minimum quota for taking notes over the past two years… why let them go to waste?!

(more…)

When American composer Leonard Bernstein gave his six famous Charles Eliot Norton lectures at Harvard University in 1973, he mused, “When God said ‘Let there be light’ (”Y’hi orr”) I doubt God said it like he was ordering lunch. I’m sure God sang creation into being.”

(more…)