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Know your strategy
There’s a difference between building a strategy because you have to and because you want to. We all get this at a certain level. We tell each other there’s a difference betweens needs and wants and we try to teach that difference to our kids. That isn’t the problem. The problem is we can’t always…
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Money – evil or blessing?
As a Christian, I hate talking about money. I remember walking into a Roman Catholic church years ago. My girlfriend at the time was Catholic. And lucky us, the priest preached about giving to the congregation. We came back two weeks later and heard another sermon about giving money to the church. Not just a little.…
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This is the shift
We are shifting toward enlightenment. Not The Enlightenment, for we are leaving much of that behind. But a certain enlightened view of the world that is more than logic and rational, ideological and fearful, more than cynical and compassionate. We’re moving toward being real and being forgiving. I know this sounds pie in the sky…
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It doesn’t count as the right thing
If you stop doing it for other reasons. Our recycling center has stopped taking glass. A sign posted on the locked dumpster said: Due to a drop in demand, we will not be taking glass for the foreseeable future. Now the dumpsters are gone entirely. I understand that “free” recycling is paid for by the…
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Why I’m Giving Up on Time/Talent/Treasure
Stewardship in the Episcopal Church is really pretty messed up. One of our favorite things we say about Stewardship is that it isn’t only about money. It is about giving in many ways, especially giving of our time, our talent, and our treasure. It’s a catchy phrase. There’s alliteration, which is always fun. And the…
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The Desire to Compromise is Not a “Position”
“Don’t low-ball your opponent” the late Dr. Verne C. Bechil told us. It was a mediation and negotiation course and this was the teaching he wanted us to take to heart. It has stuck with me for more than 15 years. Do not “low-ball” your opponent. Don’t disrespect them, for that only brings antagonism. Shortly after this,…
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Bridging the Gap
a homily for Proper 21C Text: Luke 16:19-31 Picturing the People Listen again to the opening sentences of this parable. Hear it. Close your eyes and take it in. There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate lay…