Dave Buerstetta on striving to do justice and love others while walking humbly with God
I must admit that the list of national observance days and months is overwhelming and often tedious if not down right ridiculous. For instance, January sports National Fresh Squeezed Juice Week and National Handwriting Analysis Week. This month is National Get Organized Month, Oatmeal Month, and National Polka Music Month, among many others. (Ok, my …
Continue reading ‘a people robbed and plundered…trapped in holes and hidden’
Merry Christmas! Tradition can be a good thing. I'm making it a tradition to post this Isaiah passage (which is a reading for Christmas Eve worship every year), and to post the world's best - and most challenging - Christmas song. I'm also making it a tradition to change the second song every year. You're …
Today is the final day of Advent, the time of waiting for the birth of Jesus. For Christians, Jesus is the Christ, aka the Messiah, aka the Anointed One, aka the Liberating King. What sort of king will he be? The words of Psalm 72, though ancient and not written about Jesus, give us insight …
I know there much more important issues to cover: protecting SNAP and other programs vital to caring for poor and hungry people in any fiscal cliff deal; raising our voices to destigmatize mental health care; drowning out the NRA's insanity with petitions, letters, posts, conversations, and every other way we can; continuing to care for …
Our son recently turned 7 years old. He's in first grade. It's been a rough week. Oh, not for him nor his little sister. They're fine and are excited for Christmas. But the unspeakable horror of the Newtown shooting hit Joann and me very hard. (Though, obviously, our sadness is in no way comparable to …
But as Jesus was coming out of the waters, He looked up and saw the sky split open. The Spirit of God descended upon Him like a dove, and a voice echoed in the heavens. Voice: You are My Son, My beloved One, and I am very pleased with You. ...After John was arrested by …
As the end of the year approaches, my congregation is, like many organizations, in the midst of our stewardship campaign. That campaign will determine the level of financial support for our ministries in 2013. There is much biblical support for giving to such a campaign. If you've been around most any church for most any …
In my list of favorite things from the election I mentioned victories for women (most notably, the defeat of the heinous and vile rape apologists). Something I inexcusably left off that list: all the victories by women. To wit: 77 women now in the U.S. House of Representatives, a record (and possible another depending on …
I love UMCOR. It is without a doubt one of my favorite things about the United Methodist Church. While the election naturally grabbed most of our attention this week, recovery from the damage done by Hurricane Sandy continues. As always, UMCOR is there. Through UMCOR, United Methodists extend relief and recovery to people in need …
"Love and charity and duty and patriotism." It's no surprise I was thrilled that President Obama won re-election. It should go without saying that he is by no means perfect. I disagree with some of his policies. Most notably: drone strikes, warrant-less wiretapping, and not closing Guantanamo Bay detention camp. Those things need to change. …
Continue reading A few of my favorite things from the election
All That I Can't Leave Unsaid 