Moravian star

Moravian Stars and Cookies

My spirits brighten when I see the many symbols and lights at this time of year. The multi-pointed Moravian Star is one such symbol. The Moravians are a small Christian sect with roots dating back to Czech Reformer John Hus (1369 – 1415). Hus was martyred as a heretic. His writings had an enormous impact on Martin Luther. After reading some of Hus’ sermons, Luther wrote,  “I was overwhelmed with astonishment. I could not understand for what […]

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Do We Need a New Mayflower Compact

When I wrote this blog last fall, we thought the worse of the pandemic was behind us and we’d just elected a new President of the United States. A year later we’re still in pandemic mode, with those vaccinated at a much lower risk of dying from COVID-19. It saddens me that we can’t care enough about the health of those who cannot get vaccinated to get the shot if we can. Getting the shot […]

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Thanksgiving 400

Thanksgiving will soon be upon us again. This one is the 400th anniversary of the first feast between the Pokanoket people and the newly arrived English settlers. The version of this encounter we’ve taught school children for generations is a bit truncated and lopsided, but there really was a three-day feast in Plymouth, MA back in the fall of 1621. To commemorate the 400th anniversary of the event, the Sowams Heritage Organization   is hosting a […]

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Texas

My heart is heavy and my mind is weary this week. Our Texas legislatures just delivered two punches against justice and common sense in the form of House Bill 1927 and Senate Bill 8. The first allows anyone over 21 to openly carry a handgun without a license, training, or background check. The other prohibits all abortions, for any reason, after six weeks and deputizes the public to turn in anyone who helps a woman […]

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Matriarch Mary Brewster

Vacation is over for now. It it time for me to turn my attention to Matriarch Mary Brewster.  Mayflower Chronicles: The Tale of Two Cultures is bobbing along peacefully on the book sales seas. The book stores I visited on our August trip either already had my historical fiction  or eagerly agreed to stock it. This past Tuesday I had the chance to chat with Pastor Kathleen Panning on her Aflame Ministry radio show about how life […]

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