It was a sticky August weekday, and I was wearing a suit. In that county seat town, a jacket and tie generally meant were headed to a funeral, wedding, or court. The Chamber of Commerce Chair had asked me to offer a prayer at the new Chamber building. As I pulled into the freshly blacktopped […]
Author Archives: paulrpurdue
“A new king came to power in Egypt who didn’t know Joseph.” Do you remember Joseph, the dreaming youngest child of Jacob and Rachel? Jacob lavished Joseph with fancy gifts like a multi colored dinner jacket. Every now and again Jacob sent Joseph to check on his older brothers as they camped out in the […]
How does one preach about the mysteries of our faith? Do we explain the holy or open up space for awe? The Apostle Paul said, “Think of us (preachers) as servants of Christ and stewards of God’s mysteries.” (1 Corinthians 4:1) When reading the Bible our presumptions about holy mystery color our understanding and application. […]
A few months ago, I was filling the bird feeder with some beautiful shiny black sunflower seeds, when I remembered a weedy bare spot behind our back fence. I grabbed a trowel from the shed and dug eight Frisbee sized plots. Rabbits mowed down many shoots, but four sunflowers persevered growing tall. Everyday, an 18 […]
Our Jewish kinfolks placed Ruth within a grouping called “The Writings”, along with books like Ester, Jonah, and Job. The Christian editors placed Ruth in the history section between Judges and 1 Samuel. Friends, Ruth is more of a play than a history. Ruth begins with a kind of “once upon a time”, “during the […]
Camp Compassion is our online VBS, where we are learning that compassion means: “I see your hurt, I feel your hurt with you, and I’ll work to ease your hurt.” This week we chatted about how compassion helps us be brave. I was turning that phrase over in my head,“compassion helps us be brave” , […]
I do not know when my mother gave me this doll, but I am pretty sure, I was the only boy on my lily white block with a Black Power doll. I wish y’all could have known my mother. Joann Sims Purdue taught in the most economically challenged school in our town. She was hired […]
I lived at home while going to the University of Kentucky and worked at the YWCA Afterschool program. Every weekday, I parallel parked a 15 passenger van in two school zones, played Whiffle ball, soccer, went swimming, double dutched, went to the library, and helped with homework. It was a great job! As a […]
It had been raining for two weeks, and the forecast called for thunderstorms. Everybody wanted to get a game in. I am unsure of the benefits of organized league sports for four and five year olds, but I signed up to coach. Lily, with her big purple hair bows that matched our jersey, was set […]
Today is Trinity Sunday, where we consider: God in three persons. All week, I considered leaving this lectionary theme to address the newscycle. However, perhaps our understanding of God might guide our living with each other. If God exists in relationship what does that mean for our relationships with each other? Years ago, an elementary […]
pastorpaulpurdue 