I am a big fan of any heartfelt song or spiritual song that is uplifting and that encourages us upward in worship. I am especially a fan, and definitely partial to, the volume of classic hymns that I was exposed to during my early Pentecostal days. I discovered a band called Casting Crowns last year and I wanted to give a shout out to them and a particular album I find particularly uplifting.
Continue reading “Glorious Day: Hymns of Faith”Month: June 2024
What is Juneteenth?
Juneteenth (short for “June Nineteenth”) marks the day when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1865 to take control of the state and ensure that all enslaved people be freed. The troops’ arrival came a full two and a half years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. Juneteenth honors the end to slavery in the United States and is considered the longest-running African American holiday. On June 17, 2021, it officially became a federal holiday.
Confederate General Robert E. Lee had surrendered at Appomattox Court House two months earlier in Virginia, but slavery had remained relatively unaffected in Texas—until U.S. General Gordon Granger stood on Texas soil and read General Orders No. 3: “The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free.”
Happy ordination birthday to me!
When I was living in the Bay Area eight years ago, I was approached by some friends who wanted to know if I would consider officiating their wedding. The minister they wanted to perform the marriage rite had a late development in their parish and might not be able to make the ceremony. They wanted me to pinch hit if that scenario came to pass. I was honored they asked.
Continue reading “Happy ordination birthday to me!”