Pentecost 13, August 22, 2010

Do you remember what you got into trouble for as a kid?  For me, it was talking and laughing during class.   At the Lutheran school I attended we had three grades in one room, so that when our teacher was presenting material to one class, it was pretty important that the others in the room do their work quietly.  Apparently this was a challenge for me.  Our teacher, Miss Carlson, who I had for all three years, 4-6 grades, had a way of dealing with this problem that was quite effective and it involved masking tape . . . applied directly to the source of the talking and/or laughing.  One day when I was suffering the indignities of this particular deterrent, my dad walked into the classrom to pick me up for a dentist’s appointment.  I don’t know who was more embarrassed, my dad or me, but I seem to recall that it was not a pleasant drive to the appointment. 

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Pentecost 12, August 18, 2010

Politicians usually like to be known as uniters, not dividers.  In a polarized political landscape, voters usually prefer candidates who they believe will rise above partisan politics and create consensus and not more division and conflict.  Both of our last two presidents, I think, tried to position themselves as the kind of chief executive for our nation that would bring people together.  This is an appealing goal, but it’s always harder than anyone would expect going in.

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Pentecost 11, August 8, 2010

One Sunday morning, the congregation noticed that their pastor’s face was full of little nicks and cuts. They also noticed that his sermon had also been quite a bit little longer than it usually was.

After the service, one of the elders came to him and said, “Pastor, what did you do to your FACE?”

“Well,” said the pastor, “this morning I was so worried about my sermon that I cut myself while I was shaving.”

The elder replied: “May I suggest, Pastor, that in future you worry about your FACE – and cut your SERMON!”

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