E-pistle Archives

August 15 – Opening Doors: A Lobbyist, er, Narthexist, for the Gospel

sanctuary_outsideI I’d like to make a plea for all of us at LPC to consider God’s calling to become a lobbyist. Of course, at LPC we are just barely high church enough to call our lobby a narthex, so, in fact, I’m asking you to consider becoming a narthexist. 

Late last year when Gallup asked Americans about the honesty and ethical integrity of the members of various professions, nurses, pharmacists, and grade school teachers were rated as most trustworthy. Used car salespeople, members of congress, and lobbyists were rated least trustworthy (though the continued downward slide of members of the clergy was the headline for the report). The used car salespeople outpolled the members of congress of by one point and the lobbyists by three points.  You have to wonder about the 6% of us that rate lobbyists as highly or very highly honest. Continue reading

August 8 – The Odds of Tomatoes in October

tomato blossumI’m not betting on tomatoes in October, but the yellow blossoms on our tomato plants make me happy. I take them as a reminder that even in August, 2014, God is at work and invites us to join him in his hope-filled work.

Becky and I are just not vegetable gardeners, though some of our best friends are. It’s a combination of time, location, and mostly interest that keeps us from getting our hands dirty.  As with most of us, downtime is a precious commodity. Gardening doesn’t rise to the top ten uses of free time. It’s a joy to live in a “tree city,” but lots of shade from towering trees doesn’t make for early-ripening vegetables. And then there is the “some of our best friends” thing.  Why should we garden when we have best friends who supply us with tomatoes and cucumbers all season long? Continue reading

August 1 – I Wonder why we so dislike Justin Bieber

bieberWhy do we so dislike Justin Bieber?  Because even as in a funhouse mirror with all its distortions, we still recognize ourselves.

I am not a big pop culture person. You don’t want me on your Trivial Pursuit team if we need a pie wedge of pop cultural literacy.  But I know enough about Justin Bieber to think “good for him” when I read the internet headline, “Orlando Bloom Throws Punch at Justin Bieber.” And it’s not that I know much about Orlando Bloom, but anyone who cares about The Lord of the Rings has got to be a little bit of an Orlando Bloom fan; you know, Legolas and all. Continue reading

July 25 – Life When the Bridge is Out

BRIDGE OUTWith apologies to my Feasterville friends, I probably could lead a decent life without going to Feasterville ever again. Besides, Bridgetown Pike and Brownsville Road are such a hassle. But I can’t live a decent life, I can’t live a godly life, if I’m content with local traffic and Playwicki Park. 

Get used to it, they say. It’s going to be a couple of years.  They are rebuilding the State Route 213 bridge over Neshaminy Creek, and if you travel much between Langhorne and Feasterville, life just got a little more complicated.  For now, “Bridge Out” pretty much says it all. Oh, it’s not that we won’t be seeing our Feasterville friends for two years or they us, it’s just that Bridgetown Pike or Brownsville Road are a hassle.  And for those of you on the far side of the bridge, please, don’t give up on us. We want to see you. We promise not to say anything when you show up for worship and Faith Acts, Bible studies and committee meetings, five minutes late. Continue reading

July 18 – This is Still My Father’s World

boko haramThe bell tolled 298 times yesterday, and it will toll again today and tomorrow. I want my life be lived in such a way that it tolls less often, and that when it tolls it calls us not just to mourn loss, but to celebrate resurrection.

The morning psalm in today’s Daily Office is Psalm 31. The psalm is a psalm of lament. David bemoans the power his adversaries have over him. But like many of the psalms of lament, it also tells of God’s faithfulness and mercy in times of adversity.  The last verse reads, “Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord!” Continue reading