A Shift in Vision

    Let m e expand on this, using my own African American context as an exampl e. T he peoples of western Africa, although few may have been Christian upon their arrival in these United states, had a deep spirituality and religious understanding that was very much "in keeping with the true and authentic spirit of the liturgy".     1n African religion there is a high God cOlnparable to the Christi an concept of a one God. But jllSt as there are many spirits in Christianity, angels and saints, each especially en1powered ( St....

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Lloyd Wright

    On a hot summer Sunday after the morning service at the little country church where every neighbo r attended, the ladies were preparing for a church picnic. 1he men had set up a long table on sawhorses and the ladies spread sheets over the table. As the children played the men sat around and talked. The ladies took fried chicken and potato salad along with all the trimmings from their picnic baskets and set it on the table. Kyle and Elsie had been sitting under a shade tree watching the rest of the children run and play. They both...

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MY HusBAND's CALLING Is MY CALLING Too

    I once had an interesting conversation with a woman whose husband had enrolled in seminary to prepare for ministry. "He can take classes all he wants, but I didn't sign up for the preacher's wife thing," she said. Since she didn't believe her husband would actually follow through, she went on to tell me she planned on humoring him until the day his calling affected her. And if that day ever came? Well, sh e'd just cross that bridge when she came to it.     He is still in school. She is still in denial.    ...

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The Hostage Taker

    Have you ever met somebody, girl or guy, who you really didn't want to hurt. They seem fragile. The "hostage taker" takes this fragile state to the next level. They may actually make statements such as, "If you break up with me, I'm going to kill myself". These are the guys who always seem to have some kind of drama in their lives and you get sucked into rescuing or "being there" for them. I'm not saying that it's inappropriate to help a friend out, or to be supportive of a boyfriend.      The challenge comes when a...

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Doggone It

    Just beyond Sibley's business district lay a city block square grassy area called The Dog Park. I don't know why; dogs in those days were not taken somewhere to romp with other canines and fetch sticks or balls. Dogs had the run of the town-much to my dismay.     While I'm in awe of the varied animal kingdom throughout the planet, I prefer all creatures great and small in their natural habitat, which is to say not up close and personal with me. I'm going out on a limb here to state that I'm not fond of dogs. I don't fully...

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WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW F ROM H EEL TO TOE

    If you don't have any foot discomfort at all, you're at a huge advantage. But don't congratulate yourself just yet: you must take steps to ensure that you don't develop any problems. Here are the most common problems affecting women who wear fashionable shoes on a regular basis.     THIS IS a misalignment of the joint of the big toe. Health care specialists often refer to this condition as ((hallux valgus," which is a fancy way of saying that the joint of the big toe (hallux) is bent outward (valgus). It is...

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The Psychological Key

    Meeting the Writer Half-Way         All well-conceived roles have psychological truth, but it does not follow that they are all unlocked with the psychological key . I hope Maria Lebiadkin had a psychological truth even though I approached her physically.Characters from Congreve to Coward have a believable inner life for all their comedy of manners, and Brecht's. characters are not made two dimensional because the actor keeps a certain detachment from them.The best route to Juliet may be through her language,...

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