Yesterday, the beloved Wendell Berry died at age 92. He was an American novelist, poet, essayist, environmental activist, cultural critic, and farmer. Many of us profited greatly from his various writings, always being challenged by him to pay better attention to what is happening around us, and to do what we could for the good of all things, no matter how small. And he could always comfort: “The impeded stream is the one that sings.” A friend and I were texting about his pas

Sunday in church we sang the familiar “Amazing Grace”, written by converted slave ship captain John Newton. Everyone knows the hymn. Our congregation is largely upper-middle-class, mostly made up of the baby boomer generation. As we sang the first line, in which Newton declares his amazement at the thought that God would save “a wretch like me”, I considered whether I had been or am a wretch. I looked around, wondering how many in the congregation would identify themselves

Rethinking "O the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus" and the direction of the biblical story. Recently my lectionary devotional app played a classic hymn - O, the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus. (See lyrics below). I remember it well from my growing-up years. We sang it regularly at home and church. I could probably sing every part and most of the lyrics without a book. When I hear it today, those memories go deep. But other thoughts arise after 40+ years of life experience, during whic

A couple of days ago, I wrote to the Rev. Dr. Albert Mohler, of the podcast The Briefing, about his comments regarding the Trump decoy flight out of Turkey last month and the story that broke this week of the resignation of Dr. Jason Arday, professor at Cambridge University in England. Arday resigned due to investigations into alleged serious plagiarism, academic qualifications, and honorary appointments. There were also serious questions about the truth of things he had said

During the last few years, I have been sourcing my prayers from a variety of ethnic, cultural, and religious traditions. Sometimes the prayers are as good as – or better than – the Bible! But that makes perfect sense to me, because I take literally and seriously the declarations of the Bible that Jesus has created all things and is holding all things together (Col. 1), that “in him we move and have our being” (Acts 17 – note: a quote from a Greek philosopher which found its w

Jalal al-Din Muhammad Rumi was a 13th-century Persian poet, Islamic scholar, and Sufi mystic. His poetic writings on divine love, the human soul and the unity of all things have become precious to me. Here is one of his on the persistent pursuit of Love. No one can escape it. Not even you, or the worst person you know. You found me once again, you thief of hearts. In drunken ecstasy, you searched the bazaar and found me. Even through sleepy-lidded, Love-drunk eyes, you sp

Charlotte (Eggink) Viss, 92, passed away peacefully at Dock Woods, Lansdale, on Tuesday, November 4, 2025. She was the loving wife of 72 years to the late William E. Viss. Born in Vona, Colorado, she was the fifth of seven daughters born to Dick and Mattie Eggink. Charlotte grew up in Ripon, California and attended Ripon Christian Elementary and High School, where she was an accomplished public speaker. In 1952 she married her beloved husband, Bill. Together they devote

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