1. You’re a walking fire hazard Nothing says “Merry Christmas” like a sweater with so many blinking lights, you could guide Santa’s sleigh through a snowstorm. Who needs a Christmas tree when you can be one? Just remember to keep a fire extinguisher handy – you’re one short circuit away from becoming a yuletide bonfire. […]
4 December 2024 | The world’s fragility is precarious and keenly felt, and the election of Donald Trump brings increasing unpredictability. Yet two things seem certain. First, the United States, the leading economy in the world, is likely to shift from a stance of climate change denial to climate change defiance. This is bad news […]
2 December 2024 | Dear Aunt Sevvy, Recently I came across a church apparently related to ours called the Seventh-day Adventist Reform Movement. At first glance, I see little difference. Are they the same? Signed, Clarification Needed Dear Clarification, The Seventh-day Adventist Reform Movement (SDARM) arose in Germany during World War I, out of a […]
Comments of the Week Nov 25-Dec 1 “I’m a grown woman, 73 years old. I read whatever I like.” –Joyce Williams responding to Aunt Sevvy’s question about reading extra-biblical books Comments on the Body Temple, Neurodivergent People, and Aunt Sevvy The Body Temple: Oxygen and Breath “I am fearfully and wonderfully made!‘” –Steve Tatum ATSS: […]
As the aroma of Thanksgiving tofurkey fades and we recover from the Black Friday shopping frenzy, Giving Tuesday is just around the corner on December 3rd – a day when generosity takes center stage. Think of it as Black Friday for non-profits, where instead of snagging deals on consumer goods, we invest in causes that […]
27 November 2024 | What do you imagine when you think of a winsome and attractive church? You probably imagine a church where people are well-dressed and classy, every child is well-behaved and every adult thoughtful and attentive. Yet the real church isn’t like that. You have likely met some very unusual people in church. […]
25 November 2024 | Related questions this week from different askers. Dear Aunt Sevvy, I just read that Jesus made several references to a book called Sirach. Is this true? Does this mean Jesus thought it was worth our study? • • • Dear Aunt Sevvy, I’ve heard that the Book of Enoch is quoted […]
Comments of the Week November 18-24 “Reminds me of the old joke: St. Peter is showing a new group of folks around heaven. And, of course, birds of a feather like to flock together, so he says, ‘Over there are the Anglicans, and the next street over are the Presbyterians, and the Catholics are on […]
As long as there have been church institutions, there have been befuddled cries asking why young people are leaving the church. Twice a year we get social media posts designed to “start a conversation,” or a panel discussion asking this question. Interestingly enough, the only participants missing from this discussion are young people. The question […]
by Pamela Maize Harris | 22 November 2024 | Treye McKinney is worried about having children of his own. It’s not that he doesn’t love children. He does. He’s an educator, after all. But he and his brother were victims of a violent family. The main abuser, his father, also happened to be the pastor […]
20 November 2024 | It is not easy being the church. I am increasingly reminded of the humanity that accompanies our being a connected community of faith. I observe increasing worries over orthodoxy, anxiety around behaviors, reaction to secular culture, and exercise of power or control. No, it is not easy being church. Certainly an […]
18 November 2024 | Dear Aunt Sevvy, Ephesians 4:4-6 says that “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” I’ve rarely heard […]