Several years ago, I worked as a teacher’s aide in a Special Needs department. I worked with kids who had everything from fetal alcohol syndrome to severe autism, and other forms of intellectual disabilities. It was tough work. We had to work with these kids every day in order to give them a basic understanding…
Last week, we heard Jesus say that he has given us a new commandment – to love one another just as he loved us. And, he said that everyone would know that we are disciples of Christ by showing love to one another. Hearing commandments like this is always heart-warming, because we all know what…
Note: This day was the establishing of a new Daughters of the King Chapter, and the initiation of the new members. Have you ever done something that you were ashamed of? Something you personally felt was so egregious that your very being felt broken inside of you? And then, living with the remorse of what…
In the beginning, God created the heavens and earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep. And on the sixth day, God created man from the dust of the earth. And God breathed into the man’s nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.…
“Were you there when they crucified my Lord?” So asks the hymn that we will be singing a little later. The hymn expresses deep emotions at the thought of this suffering, and imagines what it would have been like to be there at the foot of the cross the day that Jesus died. But it…
Voltaire once said, “In the beginning God created man in His own image, and man has been trying to repay the favor ever since.” He was critiquing those who use God to justify their prejudices and maintain their own place of power. At the beginning of the service, we read that Jesus mounted a donkey,…
Every year, the international affiliates of the Make-A-Wish Foundation fulfill the dreams of over 15,000 children. This happens in fifty countries and on six continents around the world. Children are given the opportunity to be firefighters, astronauts, to fly in fighter jets, or just spend a day with their family at a place like Disneyland.…
In the first world war, the Allied forces called the Germans “Huns” in an effort to tie them to the barbarian Attilla the Hun who had terrorized most of the Roman Empire during the 5th Century. After the “Huns” invaded Belgium, stories began to circulate about how these soldiers were cutting the hands off of…
I’m sure all of you remember the trend several years ago – several decades, actually – where kids would wear these rubber bracelets inscribed with the letters WWJD. This became a bigger trend for all ages, and turned into t-shirts, sweatshirts, ball caps, beanies, you name it. You might have had some of this swag.…
Have you ever seen an actor ask, “What’s my motivation?” Usually it’s in a comedy, poking fun at various actors who take their craft a bit too seriously. It’s called method acting, and it helps the actor get into the mind of the character by understanding what drives them – their motivation. Now, you might…