This week I pay my respects to #BlackLivesMatter, George Floyd, and the many other black people who have died primarily because they were not white. I lift up all who have suffered striving for justice and peace for people of all colors. I invite you to join me as I: Reflect on the gross injustices people of color continue to experience generation after generation. Read, listen, and learn the perspective of people of color. Resolve […]
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Amsterdam Refugees
When the Scrooby Pilgrims’ 1607 first attempt to immigrate to the Lowlands failed, they returned to Scrooby and organized for another attempt. Their 1608 efforts resulted in successfully becoming the Amsterdam refugees. It was a mixed blessing. No longer must they worry about searchers and enforces rounding them up and handing them over to authorities. Instead they had to worry about where they would live and how they could support themselves in a bustling city, […]
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Easter 2020
Last Sunday was the strangest Easter of my life. In my childhood Easter meant a basket filled will jelly beans and various forms of chocolate. Occasionally it also meant a new Easter dress and a visit with Mom to likely a Presbyterian or Methodist service. One set of grandparents claimed Methodist heritage, so when Mom wanted to attend a service it was usually one of theirs. I have zero memories of ever attending an Easter […]
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The Great Dying and Coronavirus
We wait and wonder, “How long until the WHO and CDC declare this novel coronavirus pandemic under control?” How soon can we resume our normal routines? Will we fill our church sanctuaries Easter Sunday 2020? Responsible clergy will not; but rather are at work this Holy Week planning alternative ways to bring folks together virtually. As several of my pastor colleagues have point out, there was no crowd there at the first Easter. The Great […]
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A Tribute to the Great x11 Granddaughter of William and Mary Brewster
Were she still alive, my mother, Elizabeth J. Hieber, would have turned 106 last Sunday (March 29, 2020). She died at the age of only 78. I say “only” because her mother lived to the age of 96. I am grateful to her for the example she set on how to face adversity and obstacles. Her lessons have proven invaluable during this coronavirus challenge. I credit her for my love of reading. Her curiosity led […]
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