August 2, 2026

Every Sunday morning … when I get to the church … and unlock the door … and stand outside, as the darkness turns to light … I think of that Sunday long ago … when Mary went to the tomb … and the tomb was empty. She goes into the garden, and sees a stranger … thinking he is the gardener … she asks: “Where have you put my Lord?” He calls her by name … and she knows now this “stranger” is the risen Lord — JESUS. Every Sunday … every day — the “risen Lord” is with us. We may not always recognize him … but the message is at the very core of who we are: HE IS WITH US, HE WALKS WITH US, HE CALLS US BY NAME. In the quiet of the early morning … if, for just a moment, I can quit thinking about myself …I will hear God’s voice: “Be still, and know that I am God.” Yes, I am with you. In the quiet of the early morn … I am there. In the noise and commotion of daily life — I am there. In every act of kindness … in moments of unselfish generosity… when you bring a healing presence to a stranger — this is where my SON lives. Somehow … in the midst of war and flooding and the suffering of a loved one —– Jesus “rises up” to give us the strength to “keep on marching.” Yes, it’s another “ordinary Sunday.” But it’s often in the most ordinary of moments that the majesty of a “humble carpenter” shines through. Peace to all —- Don