Today was another outstanding weather day here in NE Ohio. Pure sun, mid 70s and a light breeze. After getting home from work I decided I wanted a longer ride then my nightly laps through the neighborhood. I was set-to head to my regular local destination on the Towpath Trail. I had read that Portage County has been working on extending their rail trail and…
a ride through richland county
This weekend’s bike ride was on the Richland B&O Rail Trail. We met our friends Vic and Jamie in a cool overcast morning at the trailhead in Butler. We headed northwest to our destination of Lexington about 11 miles away. After 5 miles we cycled into Bellville, a typical rural Ohio small town. Bellville is pretty scenic with the Clear Fork River running along the…
a kent type of saturday morning
After our morning rain, the skies cleared and gave us a beautiful day. I decided to venture to Downtown Kent and the Haymaker Farmer’s Market. It is the best community farmer’s market in the area. There are usually 20 or 30 vendors selling a variety of goods. Being Kent, it sort of has that earthy flair. There are plenty of veggies and fruits along with…
marshes, sweet corn, a river and locks along the trail
For a welcome change, it was in the 50s when we left Mustill Store and Cascade Locks for a day of cycling in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Today, Brett and I were joined by Susan and Chris who attend our weight loss support group. Brett and I were doing a round trip to Peninsula. Susan and Chris were going to continue north to the…
a most monumental day
Nineteen years ago on a cold late October night Brett and I and a handful of gay Lutherans huddled in the living room of the Christ Lutheran parsonage in Cuyahoga Falls. Little did those present know how our lives would be transformed by this meeting. Lutherans Concerned became an integral part of our lives. As our lives changed, so did Lutherans Concerned. Initially we were…
grace upon grace
From Christ’s fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known. — John 1:16-18 Yesterday The ELCA Churchwide Assembly adopted the sexuality social statement. This Bible passage above…
god’s work, our hands
This afternoon the ELCA Churchwide Assembly continues its discussion on the proposed sexuality social statement. As a delegate to the previous Churchwide Assembly in Chicago, I am comforted in knowing that Bishop Hanson continues to lead the ELCA. He did an extraordinary job in managing difficult discussions and decisions at the 2007 assembly. I saw his leadership in action Monday night as I watched the…
lutherans heat up minneapolis
Today the ELCA begins their 2009 Churchwide Assembly in Minneapolis, the holy city of American Lutheranism. Over 1,000 delegates from across the USA will meet as this weeklong biennial meeting and make a variety of decisions on the life of the denomination. This year the ELCA is adopting a sexuality statement. It’s a pretty broad statement addressing many issues of sexuality. Of course the most…