Prophet, Pistols, and Participation

Things, at least political ones, are moving quickly here in North Carolina, and there is no tar on the heels of many of our elected officials. Take for instance our lieutenant governor, Mr. Mark Robinson. In a sermon a few weeks ago at Trinity Baptist Church in Mooresville, he notified attendees that he had no

In The Doing of the Thing

The Latin phrase Carpe Diem, made famous in modern days by the American movie Dead Poet’s Society, was coined by the poet Horace. Most accurately translated as “Pluck the day,” after the movie it was printed on tee shirts, caps, and mugs. “Pluck” proved too much for American sensibilities and the phrase was translated as

Helping Our Schools

“Just because you live in a house does not mean you are qualified to build one.” So goes the old adage. But it seems N.C. state representative John Torbett, a past house contractor, has forgotten that old saw. I eat poultry and have seen the large poultry houses in Union County N.C. and Shenandoah County

DMV Visit

Yesterday I spent three hours in the Mooresville DMV, when and where I had some personal opinions supported by observations. First of all, no empathy for me is deserved because my visit was a result of my own negligence—I had allowed my driver’s license to expire and since I wear glasses to correct my vision,

Our Lake Norman Place

Place: A noun signifying an area with a specified border; a transitive verb defining an act;  a modifier to describe a finish in a race. So many ways to use such a simple word: The place is packed with weeds; place the cup on the table; my horse did not place in the race. But

Mettle as Model

We all need positive role models–those heroic people who show us how to act or conduct our lives when defined by the kind of courage needed to do what is seen as impossible or unpopular. When we think of folks such as Rosa Parks we encounter such a positive role model, an ordinary but heroic

Designated Gifts

Some years ago my wife and I attended a small Brethren Church in the Shenandoah Valley. When the congregation wanted to build a new, larger sanctuary and remodel the fellowship hall, I chaired the committee for the project. The experience was enjoyable, and I was reminded more than once of the brethren lesson concerning designated,

Pastor Stevens and the FCA

Mr. Rick Stevens is a Florida pastor who serves on a book-reviewing subcommittee for the Florida Citizens Alliance. In that role he has said that school librarians should welcome an extra pairs of eyes to review books, and he believes that will lead to more pristine school libraries, stocked solely with texts devoted to the

What’s Your Fuel

In reading Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians this morning, I read this verse: “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.” (1 Cor. 3:6, RSV) Paul is writing to explain to the Corinthians that they must mature as Christians and understand that all power comes from God. While he and Apollos and others

Practical Help for Our Schools

North Carolina Republican lawmakers have introduced the “Parents’ Bill of Rights” in another attempt to give more control over public education to non-educators. The introduced bill addresses matters such as requiring a teacher to make classroom teaching materials available for inspection by a parent or guardian. In my tenure of over forty years in classrooms,