April 27, 2025 Learn To Share the Road on Life’s Highway Some years back, I was driving Interstate 99 south of Sacramento, Calif when a man began aggressively tailgating me. Known as the most dangerous freeway in California, there is little room for traffic weavers like him. He was close enough that I could
By Norris Burkes Easter, April 20, 2025 No matter what you’ve read, I can promise you this – the Jesus insurrection was put down quickly and decisively. The anarchists, AKA disciples, who were occupying the garden never really had a chance. The disciples barely seemed to know the smackdown was coming when the occupying powers,
By Norris Burkes April 13, 2025 During my career as a healthcare chaplain, I often had a feeling that I was pastoring a parade. That’s because, by definition, a chaplain’s relationship with patients is a temporary one. I suppose that’s why I am relieved when a patient asks if they can call me “Pastor” instead
By Norris Burkes April 6 2025 A good friend once suggested that I start using the term “America’s Favorite Chaplain” to promote my public speeches. “No,” I said. “I prefer the moniker, ‘The Bomb-Dump Chaplain.’” His quizzical expression inspired a story from an earlier day. In 1994, I took my first active-duty assignment at Onizuka
By Norris Burkes, March 30 2025 Family lore from my wife’s kinfolk recounts the first time my father-in-law assumed solo caregiving responsibilities for his firstborn infant, Becky, my wife. Those who retell it say that Becky’s mother, Darla, left the house for a church event and gave her young husband, Wilbur, explicit instructions on how
Note to readers: The woman described in this column is a composite character representing the many conversations I’ve had with those seeking chaplain jobs. By Norris Burkes March 23 2025 Not long ago, I was working for a hospice group when a woman stopped by my office considering chaplain employment. Touting her recent graduation from
By Norris Burkes March 16 2025 Today’s column comes straight out of ancient times. This is wrath-of-God stuff. We are talking “Fire and brimstone, baby, right out of the Old Testament cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Nah, you know I’m messing with you. You don’t read this column to get the hellish diatribe made famous
By Norris Burkes March 9 2025 When a reader once left a voicemail suggesting that I wasn’t worthy of my chaplain title, I shrugged. That’s OK, I thought, I’ve heard that before. The worst occasion happened during my USAF deployment to Saudi Arabia in 1999. That’s when my supervisor, Col. Mike Bradshaw, told me I
By Norris Burkes, March 2 2025 Some months back, I visited a new church led by an energetic leadership team. I was there to learn how our traditional church might find regenerative energy. Afterwards, I asked what they liked about their church. I heard several good answers, but one woman intrigued me. “The first
By Norris Burkes, Feb 21 2025 OK, folks, today I’m asking for your best Clint Eastwood impression by repeating these words aloud: “A man’s gotta know his limitations.” If Eastwood was doing his portrayal of “Dirty Harry,” today, he’d encourage us to be more inclusive and declare, “Everyone’s gotta know their limitations.” Nonetheless, the
Practice with FBI Citizens Academy at shooting range By Norris Burkes Feb 14 2025 Did You Miss National Backwards Day? Apologies for this belated announcement. But, Jan 31 was “National Backwards Day.” No, it’s a real thing, chaplain-honest. My wife, a retired schoolteacher chastised me for not reminding you sooner. Every year her elementary schools
By Norris Burkes, Feb 8. 2025 During my adolescent years, I rarely introduced myself with verbal clarity. My soft introductions were hard to hear and communicated more doubt than any kind of confident identity. I’d try to tell people that my name was Norris, but they’d often respond with a one-word question. “What?” If I
