With cries of “fake news” and Facebook-fed rumors hurtling around, it’s easy to take the value of local news coverage for granted. Or, it was until the pandemic came along. As a former newspaper reporter and editor, I was used to keeping up with current events each day. Then in mid-March, along came so much…
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Our oldest great-nephew graduates from high school this week, but we won’t be there. The last time we checked, even his parents weren’t sure they would be admitted. In late June, a day before our great-nephew was originally scheduled to graduate, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo gave the green light for outdoor ceremonies of up…
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While I spend the majority of my time editing or revising books, I still do some article writing for a couple denominations. They included a recent, heartwarming story about Overbook Assembly of God of Philadelphia, whose members were well-suited for the challenges of this year’s pandemic. That’s because they trained for disaster by organizing considerable…
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Whether you make it to a lake or ocean this summer or not, warm weather is still a good time to kick back and enjoy a good beach read. If you are looking for an enjoyable trip through the pages (paper or electronic), I nominate the recently released Conspiracy of Grace. As the subtitle says,…
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In early 1983, I set up shop in our small spare bedroom with a postage-stamp-sized desk, a portable typewriter, and no financial reserves or line of credit. Back then, I had no idea I was a trendsetter in the work-at-home environment. Indeed, halfway through that first year when income was so sparse some kind church…
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I attended my first Zoom meeting the third week of May. The following week, I participated in a second. That may not be cause for crowing since such sessions have become so common lately for millions. Yet, considering how rapidly Zoom hatched in my consciousness, it still makes my head spin. In my case, I…
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Though my experience was nowhere near as bad as some people’s, the first six weeks of the coronavirus situation were pretty rough on my nerves. It started with a birthday-related visit Mar. 21 from two grandsons. Two days later, one got so sick at work his boss sent him home. Then he went to the…
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Like so many other states, West Virginia’s primary election was postponed nearly a month. Not only is it taking place later than first planned, now “going to the polls” and voting may be more like a trip to the nearest mailbox. That’s what I had intended to do originally. After the impact of COVID-19 settled…
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If there’s one thing the pandemic has made clear, it’s how badly we need each other. As I heard one pastor put it recently, God made us in His image, which is why humans crave community. We reflect the original small group: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I saw the truth of that statement the…
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Our church didn’t meet—in person—last month. It was the same at churches I heard about, an impression backed up by this story. The national survey reported 90 percent of Protestant pastors said their churches didn’t meet in person in April. Of course, neither did most Catholic parishes, including one a block from our church that…
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