Dear Saints in Santa Fe, and other far-off places: Greetings in the name and spirit of Jesus Christ! Blessings upon our animal companions.  Greta was a miniature black and tan dachshund who joined the family as a six-month old when I was nine.  She had a crooked tail, never chased a stick or a ball, didn’t play with toys and spent most of her life under a blanket, along with being a steadfast companion to grandpa who wasn’t well and needed someone like her.  Thank you, Greta, for being different than your average dog and the ways you blessed grandpa’s life, and my own.

Dear Saints in Santa Fe, and other far-off places: Greetings in the name and spirit of Jesus Christ! Coca-Cola tried to bring the world together in 1971 with a commercial. I would be surprised if you don’t remember it.  I preached a sermon on World Communion Sunday in 2013 (remember that?) and when I started to sing the song, the entire choir joined in and scarcely a beat later so did the congregation. I’d like to teach the world to sing.