As we approach our observance of All Saints’ Day, I cannot help but reflect on the memorial service held for Larry Howard at Laurel Heights UMC last Saturday. It was one of those occasions that was hard to line up and make happen in my calendar but was absolutely the right place to be. I…Read More »
A Word from DS Laura Merrill 10/15/21
October is Pastor Appreciation Month—yay! I do often wonder at this sort of observance. Some national days or months seem unnecessary, like National Donut Day, or Ice Cream Appreciation Month. Those can only have been dreamed up by the people selling donuts and ice cream, because really? We need a month or a day or…Read More »
A Word from DS Laura Merrill 10/1/21
At our district professionals meeting this week, Bishop Schnase shared a description of our collective responses to traumatic events, a description that some of us heard last year from Rev. John Thornburg of TMF. These apply to events like hurricanes and 9-11, as well as to our more extended pandemic. The stages of response or…Read More »