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For Wilshire Baptist Church

Tuesday night we drove to Waco for a concert presented by Baylor’s Chamber Singers in the Foyer of Meditation at the Armstrong Browning Library. Seldom do venue and talent combine in such a magnificent way, and our ears were still ringing with crystalline solos and well-woven harmonies as we drove back across Central Texas in the dark.

I describe the trip that way because while most folks we know will jump on Interstate 35 in Dallas and get off in Waco, we take a different route and have for years. We drive Interstate 45 to Corsicana and then cross the countryside of Central Texas on State Highway 31. It’s a little bit longer than the more direct path of I-35, but there’s less traffic on I-45 — fewer big rigs racing between Mexico and Canada — and almost no traffic of any kind on 31. What’s more, you see things on 31 you don’t see from the interstate. That’s true during the day but even more so after dark and especially in December when you see the lights of Christmas.

Continue reading “This Little Light”

For Wilshire Baptist Church

My desk had become a wicked mess, with piles of papers stacked so high there was danger of them collapsing into one big pile that avalanched onto the floor.

The mess was a testament to recent months where I was so busy and buffeted from one project to another that my desk became a dumping ground for anything and everything. For a while there was evidence of attempted cleanup when I had some sorted stacks on the floor, but those had to go back on the desk in crisscross piles when I started bringing home papers to sort from George Gagliardi’s apartment.

I finally decided enough was enough when I couldn’t see half of my computer screen and there was no place to park a cup of coffee. I need both of those for work.

Continue reading “Making Room for Advent”

For Wilshire Baptist Church

Sometimes it feels a bit rote and habitual to come to this time of year and stop to “give thanks” for whatever comes to mind that we’ve enjoyed, benefitted from or been blessed by in the weeks and months since the last time we celebrated Thanksgiving. Don’t get me wrong: It’s a good exercise and one we should not take lightly. But what if we looked ahead and gave thanks in advance for what hasn’t happened yet? Is that even possible? And if so, what would our list look like?

Continue reading “Thanks in Advance”