Our condolences are with the family and friends of Maryruth Nickels, Scarritt Bennett Center Interim Executive Director, 1993-1994. Maryruth Nickels, 92, of the Franklin United Methodist Community in Franklin, IN passed away Wednesday, August 10, 2016. This remarkable woman, adventurer and philanthropist, was born December 11,...
Read MoreLonely the boat, sailing at sea, tossed on a cold, stormy night; cruel the sea which seemed so wide with waves so high. This single ship sailed the deep sea, straight into the gale; O Lord, great is the peril, dangers to all assail. Strong winds arose in all...
Read MoreFinding time and space for oneself is difficult in our busy days. Even several minutes during a day can provide for our inner selves renewal, restoration, rediscovery and reawakening. Perhaps time can be found as you walk the dog, or ride the subway/bus/drive to work,...
Read MoreWe have become a society of seekers – seekers of meaning to life. Many people participate in almost any kind of sp0iritual or religious experience that comes their way. Some of this seeking is fueled by undefinable needs, but some is fueled by the relentless...
Read MoreImages of hatred fill our newspapers, radios, social media and televisions daily. During these last several weeks we have seen horrendous acts of violence against people because of their skin color, their employment as police, their sexual orientation, their ethnic background, or their beliefs and...
Read MoreI believe in God, the Almighty that led the people in exile, and in exodus, the God of Joseph in Egypt and of Daniel in Babylonia the God of foreigners and of immigrants. I believe in Jesus Christ, a displaced Galilean, who was born far from his people, who fled from his...
Read MoreTo a place of celebration filled with laughter, dancing, joy, Came such violent devastation—one man’s efforts to destroy. God, we grieve for loved ones taken; we lament, “What can we do?” Now, we’re feeling lost and shaken; heal our nation! Make us new! Weapons kill—and so does silence; hear...
Read MoreEven at the start of summer, my thoughts begin to turn to the fall. Perhaps it’s because I don’t deal well with heat and humidity or perhaps it’s because the opportunities for spiritual retreats seem to increase as the seasons change. Or maybe it is...
Read MoreThe politics of mean-spiritedness is at work in our land. It is heard on radio talk shows, on the TV news, and certainly in the rhetoric of politicians. It is the prevailing attitude far too often as we move further into the election campaigns. Mean-spiritedness feeds...
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