Category: humanity

Ash Wednesday, Ethics, Hope, humanity, Justice, Theology, Ukraine, violence, war1 Comment

A Prayer for the Russian People

Gary Furr

Today I pray for the people of Russia, passive victims of a sociopathic leader, taken into war without their voices and opinions being considered, lacking full knowledge or with the benefit of a factual and free press we pray. Lord have mercy. For a nation whose history is replete with czars, dictators and authoritarians, who have crushed dissent, stolen her wealth, compromised her people’s trust and repelled her Christian heritage unless it bow the knee to the idols. Lord have mercy. For mothers and grandmothers, whose young sons have been sent on a mission of bloodshed against kinsmen for no … Continue reading A Prayer for the Russian People

9-11, Citizenship, Culture, fear, Grief, history, Hope, humanity, Justice, Politics, Selfishness, September 11, Suffering, Terrorism4 Comments

Remembering 9/11

Gary Furr

The Watchers Gary Allison Furr. September 11, 2020 I wasn’t on a plane, or a family member receiving frantic calls, I was not one of the air traffic controllers or military leaders Or an advisor to the President. I wasn’t at the Pentegon that day Or even a taxi driver or cop on duty in New York that day. I sometimes wished to have been more useful as the Towers fell, Reaching out to help someone else or at least console them. I was a witness like the rest, but I was where I’ve been since then, Watching on television, … Continue reading Remembering 9/11

Blessing, Disappointment, Hope, humanity, Theology and Life3 Comments

Reframing to Blessings

Gary Furr

When I first began to preach as a pastor it was in small churches in Central Texas. They were mostly blue collar and working folks, farmers, retired people who had moved out from the city, an assortment of people who end up in a church together by virtue of geography. As I was just beginning my ministry, I desperately read books about how to preach and how to be an administrator and how to do all of this and that. But I particularly remember one preaching book that encouraged me to try to turn my main point into a positive … Continue reading Reframing to Blessings

Children, Faith, Family, Hope, hope, humanity, Spiritual disciplines, spirituality, Suffering, Theology3 Comments

Turning the Page to a New Day

Gary Furr

Some people can look at the big picture and take it in. Others of us have to plant down on the earth and focus on digging the one hole that is ours to do. When you’re trying to get it together, simple is best. You can’t fix the entire universe, but you can fix a healthy breakfast. You can’t answer the question of suffering humanity, but you can lend a hand to one person hurting. We live in time. It’s different for each of us. But what we do with the hand dealt us will finally determine how the story … Continue reading Turning the Page to a New Day

America, Americana, apocalyptic, Bob Dylan, Covid-19, Folk, folk music, Hope, humanity, pandemic, Sickness and Health, Spirituality, Suffering, Theology and Life

Living Through Exile

Gary Furr

I wrote this to our church back at the beginning of April. I hoped, like all of us, that we’d be “back to normal” by now. But we aren’t. So in looking back at this, it’s more relevant than I thought. We’re in it for a while. Hold on. The exile in ancient Israel was a traumatic disruption.  The city of Jerusalem and all the towns of any size were sacked and burned, people scattered and all the Judaeans with any talent, leadership or education were marched across the desert to Babylon Iraq where they lived in an ethnic ghetto, … Continue reading Living Through Exile