Last week, I wrote about Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s leadership during the Depression and World War II. I feel compelled to write about the lack of leadership, on so many fronts, of America’s current president. This president has fostered division while proclaiming that he is the only president who has ever done anything for this country. True leaders foster unity and help Americans to achieve their highest potential while caring for them as individuals. They raise us up to climb the…..
Today is Pentecost Sunday. By all memories, this is the day the Holy Spirit came down from heaven and descended on the apostles. My church was closed once again because of the COVID-19 pandemic. As I have done in the past, I found church services on the internet that were very comforting, but I realized very quickly that I was moved more by the wonderful musical performances on YouTube. You see, I pray with my music, and that art form…..
As our streets are once again running in blood and unrest, I wonder what God is saying as His children are letting the sins of racism, misogyny, and lying eclipse anything that most Americans are trying to do for their brothers and sisters affected by COVID-19. None of us deserve the hatred, violence, and cut-throat negativity that have reared their ugly heads in recent days in Minnesota. These three sins need to be destroyed forever. Only Christian love and true…..
Believe If you want wisdom, believe. If you want protection, believe. If you want courage, believe. If you want strength, believe. If you want healing, believe. If you want grace, believe. If you want forgiveness, believe. If you want faith, believe. If you want hope, believe. If you want love, believe. Believe in Christ and have eternal life. Anna Hartt
I just read an article in the newspaper that said two-thirds of Americans who believe in God feel that God wants us to learn from this virus and change our ways. Shouldn’t we be looking for deeper meanings in every critical situation we find ourselves in? Shouldn’t the sanctity of life be more important than the almighty dollar? Shouldn’t all Americans be finding their own ways to become more loving, caring, and understanding about each other instead of only caring…..
I am grateful for all the blessings God has given me, but in this health crisis, I admit that my doubts and fears have gotten the best of me at times. Most Americans have done what doctors and scientists have told us to do, but we’ve been quarantined for seven weeks. It’s hard to stay home when blue skies, sun, and warm temperatures entice us to venture outside. Wearing masks is essential in this pandemic, but as the temperatures continue…..
COVID-19 isn’t about what we have lost; it’s about finding the strength to deal with our pain. It’s about finding the wisdom to deal with our divisiveness, our hatred, our inability to get along, our inability to care for anyone else but ourselves. Facing the truth about who we have become as individuals, as a country, and as a world is really what’s at stake here. This battle is not about winning or losing; it’s about how we fight the…..
According to Lutheran liturgy, this is the second Sunday of Easter, but last Sunday didn’t feel like Easter because of COVID-19. I wasn’t in church, wasn’t singing the glorious hymns of Resurrection, and wasn’t hearing God’s word from the minister. As with churches across the nation, my church was closed, and I was struggling with my computer speakers to get any sound from them. Somehow, sitting in front of a computer screen, trying to lip-read what’s going on in a…..
Christ lives! Let all the world sing! The cross is empty. Let praises be heard in every home. Death will never survive the power of love. Christ lives! He is not bound to the pain of the whip. He bore the cross so that all may be blessed with abundant life. He saves and heals even today in every place and time. With every affliction and war, color, contempt, and wealth cannot divide us. Christ suffers with us and loves…..
COVID-19 has caused me to reflect on America’s current health crisis. One of my comfort activities has been watching older movies. If I am serious about my feelings during this time, they have become more non-trusting as more and more Americans have died due to the disease. Three particular movies can explain how I feel America is handling this pandemic: “Big,” starring Tom Hanks, “The Finest Hours,” starring Chris Pine, and “The Perfect Storm,” starring George Clooney. The movie, “Big,”…..