Dear Saints in Santa Fe, and other far-off places: Greetings in the name and spirit of Jesus Christ! What crisis was it today? Every night after my brothers and I were in bed, mom and dad would sit in the kitchen and ask that very question. The country was coming apart at the seams, and so was Pasadena. The Vietnam war was at its brutal worst, the civil rights movement was splintering following the assassination of Dr. King, Robert Kennedy was killed just a few miles from us, controversy around Angela Davis was driving people from the Presbyterian Church, Pasadena was roiled by racial strife, smog filled the San Gabriel valley,,,

Dear Saints in Santa Fe, and other far-off places: Greetings in the name and spirit of Jesus Christ! John Buchanan died this week. Father of Diane, father-in-law to Rick, friend to many, leader in the Church. So much more. For twenty-seven years he was senior pastor of Fourth Presbyterian Church in Chicago, one of the flagship churches of the Presbyterian Church (USA), 6,000 members strong when he retired. A “light in the city” was its tagline, and it really was. More than just the city of Chicago, Fourth Pres and John’s light shone across the country and throughout our denomination.

Dear Saints in Santa Fe, and other far-off places: Greetings in the name and spirit of Jesus Christ! There is some confusion of late (2,000 years or so) of what it means to be Christian. Let’s start with the basics, and a familiar adage:  “When Jesus told us to love our enemies he didn’t mean for us to kill them.”  Or hurt, berate, belittle, threaten, oppress, frighten, or imprison them. When Paul wrote in Galatians 3:28, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ” he meant it and we should stop making edits or excuses. Our culture has trouble with the “other.” Jesus didn’t.

Dear Saints in Santa Fe, and other far-off places: Greetings in the name and spirit of Jesus Christ! The Hidden Gospel. This is the title of a book by Neil Douglas-Klotz which looks at the familiar words of Jesus, not in English or Greek but in Aramaic, the language Jesus spoke. Words and themes jump out at the reader which they might otherwise remain hidden in our familiar translations, words like unity, breath, holiness, light, wisdom, diversity, soul, completeness, and love. This was Jesus’ vocabulary. We know it as the Gospel and it showed up this week. ...

Dear Saints in Santa Fe, and other far-off places: Greetings in the name and spirit of Jesus Christ! Been to the Mountaintop. Yes, when I was five.  It was my first time being up so high and looking down, something small town Ohio did not offer.  But a trip to California changed that in the summer of 1964 when Dad began his doctoral program at San Francisco Seminary.  One evening at dusk my family and I drove up to Mt. Tamalpais when the sun was dropping behind the Pacific. We looked south upon the flickering lights of San Francisco.  I was mesmerized.  ...

Dear Saints in Santa Fe, and other far-off places: Greetings in the name and spirit of Jesus Christ! Six stone jars filled with water. I am jarred by the news of the fires in Los Angeles. My old home and church are on the line between an evacuation order and a warning. It might depend on the way the wind is blowing on whether or not my old home and neighborhood is spared or will remain only in my memories. An old friend who sang at my installation service in 2012 told me a few hours ago that he has never been more terrified as he looks out from his front yard in Encino to a raging fire 1 ½ miles away.

Dear Saints in Santa Fe, and other far-off places: Greetings in the name and spirit of Jesus Christ! “Love the person in front of you.” Jimmy Carter accompanied a Hispanic pastor friend on a pastoral visit years ago and as they were walking down the sidewalk, Carter asked his friend how he did it, so moved was he by what he just experienced. It’s simple, the pastor said, “love the person in front of you.” Is there a better phrase for the Christian life? Are there better words to describe what Jesus did in his ministry? Might these words accompany us in the new year?