The web site has been down for a while.  Sorry about that.  It did make it impossible for me to keep up the blog.

Hard to beleive vacation has been over for a week already.  Last week Jack and I were sitting in the airport in Charlotte, NC.  When we left Aruba it was in the high 80's and sunny.  I had on shorts and sandals.  We got into Charlotte around 9:00 PM and it was cold and rainy.  I was sitting in the gate area in my shorts and sandals next to a couple in parkas.  I had clothes in my carry-on so I changed to long pants and tennis shoes before we flew to Indy.

So how do you dress?  For the place you are leaving or the place you are going?  You are going to be uncomfortable at one end or the other and probably for most of the in-between.  So what do you were?  Clothes for the destination or clothes from the past?< ...

Just before I left on vacation I preached a sermon called- When you find yourself in a pile of manure…

I ...

It seems to me that we are too often in a hurry to get things over and go back to normal.  We celebrate Christmas for two days and then pack it all away and get back to normal.  Easter will be a day and then back to normal.

I am voting for seasons instead of days.  I went to a birthday lunch for Ruth today- for the BIG 50.  This is the month long festival of Ruth.  Jack's birthday lasted an entire week.  I had to sing Happy Birthday for seven days.  We will both remember this season forever I am sure.

Seasons are fun.  If you celebrate for a season it is more likely to stay with you than if you celebrate only for a day.  Seasons change us more than days do.  I had a season of cancer seven years ago and it changed my life forever.  I had a day of stomach flu and it is now forgotten.

Sometimes ...

I am gone this week celebrating Jack's birthday.  But meanwhile, back home in Indiana there is another big birthday happening.  Tomorrow, March 17th Ruth Chadwick Moore will reluctantly turn 50 years old. 

Please take a minute, wherever you are, whoever you are, and send an email to Ruth wishing her a happy birthday tomorrow.  You can send it to-

ruthcmoore@northminster-indy.org

Happy Birthday Ruthie

My intentions were great.  I had time blocked off last week and the plan was to write ahead on my blog.  That way there would be an entry each day- even while I am gone this week.

So much for great intentions.  Mine went down the toilet with the stomach flu.  Now, instead of being ahead I am way behind on everything and still leaving town.

So this BLOG will not have anything new from me for a week.  I encourage those of you who read to add a comment about your Lent- or your faith- or a poem- or a link to something that you find helpful.

I also encourage you to stay away from the stomach flu.

While I continue with this bug- check out this link to the Writer's Almanac for a great Lenten Poem.

http://writersalmanac.publicradio.org/programs/2007/03/05/#thursday

The stomach flu has hit full force and there is nothing spiritual or worth sharing about it.  I will catch up later.

The conversations in Lent seem to keep heading back to death.  Saint Benedict said we should keep death always before our eyes.  I think he meant that it helps us keep life in perspective.

I am going away next week and a member of the church asked how I could go away during Lent.& ...

Jim Dougans gave me an article recently entitled “Outflow”.  It asked the question, “What if your church really embraced the idea of letting God’s love flow into your community?”  The authors tell the story of congregations that decided they could change their communities by what they did in them.  One night a woman and her son were going through the drive-in window at Taco Bell.  When they got to the window where they were to pay the server smiled and said, “This is your lucky day.  The people ahead of you paid for your order and left you th ...