Tag: Simplicity
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Blessed are the Autumn Daisies
Long after the trees have dropped their leaves, and the canopy of green becomes a jagged collection of branches reaching upward toward the disappearing sun, long after the geese have ceased honking and the birds have stopped their morning songs, long after the bushes begin to blaze but are not yet consumed, long after the…
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Deep seated pieties
As I closed my eyes, I felt moved to a different time, and a different space. In becoming familiar with our denomination’s new hymnal, Lift Up Your Hearts, there was a hymn sing at the annual gathering of delegated Ministers of Word and Sacrament and Elders from the entire denomination from around the United States and Canada.…
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Curiosity on a Sunny Saturday Morning
The sun is warm and the birds are chirping. It is finally a spring-like day during this unseasonably cold spring. The front window is open and I hear a group of boys talking. The city is doing utility work on our street and there is a square of concrete which is removed surrounded by sawhorse…
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Being faithful with my little
I often find myself frustrated. I have been given very little. I have very little in terms of number of people in my congregation, very little in terms of my facilities, exceptionally little in terms of financial resources, and little in terms of other resources in my congregation and community. I don’t want to have…
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Meeting God at Lake Michigan
The breeze was cool and the geese honked as they flew overhead. Right in front of the dock on which I am sitting, I listed to a rowboat quietly skimming across the surface of the water, the only sound to be heard is the oars dipping into the water to propel the small boat toward…
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Simple Things Like Coffee
I drink coffee every day, and I drink it all day. I love coffee. I’m not talking about Folgers or Maxwell House, I’m not even talking about Starbucks. I’m talking about good micro-roasted coffee. Always strong, always black. Coffee is not just something that I drink for the caffeine. I love the taste. It provides a…
Matthew van Maastricht 