Goodnight all. When I was ordained nearly 50 years ago, and I was asked how my sermon went, I always replied, “Thousands were saved.” Then I was preaching to, on a good day, about 35 souls. I preached today. You can see it here:
richardlfloyd.com/2024/04/14/you…

My sermon from this morning. There's a link to a YouTube video of the service at the bottom:
richardlfloyd.com/2024/04/14/you…

Goodnight all. Our country is broken. Our world is broken. The world invites us to despair & with good reason. But I will not despair. I choose faith over fear. I choose hope over despair. Because it is still Easter and the future is God's future. The Lord bless you and keep you!

I will be guest preaching and leading worship tomorrow at the First Congregational Church in Stockbridge. You can watch on our Livestream from the link below:
stockbridgeucc.org/livestream/

Goodnight all. It's called agency, a feature of what makes us human. We get to choose. Will we be mean or kind? Will we lie or tell the truth? Will we be full of fear or full of faith? We, and you, always get to choose. The Big Lie is still a lie. The Lord bless you & keep you!

Goodnight all. Yes, I'm a Christian. I took a baptismal vow to reject evil. And, so, to be best of my ability, with the help of God, I do. The Big Lie is still Big lie. The Lord bless you and keep you!

Slow-Cooker Dakdori Tang, spicy Korean chicken stew. It’s what’s for dinner!

Goodnight all. Jesus hated no one, but he hated injustice & the exploitation of the vulnerable. He threw the money-changers out of the temple, because he hated grifters using religion to enrich themselves. The Big Lie is still a Big Lie. The Lord bless you & keep you!

A boneless pork loin always makes a great meal. I use Julia’s herb and spice rub. Convection roast to 165 degrees. Serve with little potatoes, steamed broccoli and applesauce. It’s what’s for dinner.

2. I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.

The Peace of Wild Things by Wendell Berry

When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.

Goodnight all. My pastor says we are flawed humans, but still and always, beloved children of God. And I love that. But I will vote for the one who is very much less flawed. Prayers for decency & democracy. Prayers for Ukraine. The Big Lie is a lie. The Lord bless you keep you!

If you missed our Kick the Winter Blues concert last month, here it is on YouTube:
youtube.com/watch?v=2IIlyl…

My solar eclipse glasses came today. Thanks Amazon. I’m not sure I’ll be around in 20 years to use them.

Goodnight all. The world as it is now is not the world that might be. I pray for an alternative world: a world of peace not war, of justice not exploitation, of kindness not cruelty, of truth and not lies. The Big Lie is a big lie. The Lord bless you and keep you!

Words cannot express my love for my teammates, coaches, fans and our university - Thanks for making my dreams come true. Wearing Iowa across my chest the last four years has been an honor. This place will always be home🖤

I was left behind!

Goodnight all. It's not that hard. Kind is better than mean. Forgiveness is better than revenge. Peace is better than violence. Love is better than hate. Democracy is better than autocracy. Truth is better than lies. The Big Lie is still a lie. The Lord bless you and keep you!

A simple Sunday supper: split pea soup with a smoked ham hock and croutons. It’s what’s for dinner!

Goodnight all. For us preachers, tomorrow is Low Sunday. I rarely preached on that Sunday, but I preached this one months before my bike accident and brain injury. I still like Low Sunday! The Lord bless you and keep you! richardlfloyd.com/2013/04/04/beh…