Advent may be the church season of beginnings, but in the northern hemisphere Advent occurs during a cold season in which very little in nature is pointing to burgeoning life. But...

I was in Dhaka, Bangladesh in April 2013 when the Rana Plaza building collapsed killing 1,100 people — most of them women. I reluctantly decided not to join the search for...

I never thought about the absolute necessity of an anchor until I stood aboard a 1935, 45-foot, double-masted sailing vessel watching dark storm clouds roll in above the Chesapeake Bay. The...

When I was a child my mom preferred to buy meats from a small grocery store south of town. Occasionally, Mom did not have enough money for her purchases. Mr. Holler,...

The good Samaritan story is so familiar to me that I often skim through it instead of looking at the details. Most of us think we are, or should be, the...

Over 30 years ago I met a woman who made a lasting impression on my faith journey. She was bright, articulate, a mother of two young children, and a career woman....

“You should write a book,” my pastor friend told me after I led a workshop at his church. He thought my ideas deserved a wider audience; I thought his idea ridiculous....

My son was raving about his favorite sport, rugby. As I sat there nodding now and again, all I needed to say was, “Wow!” or “Really?” He was waving his arms...

I am a teenager and an international student from China living with a host family in the United States. Recently I made a huge mistake and lost my host family’s trust....

In November 2015, our varsity football team had just suffered a tough, season-ending loss in the playoffs. We felt beaten up and demoralized. When we got back to the team hotel,...