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Christmas Carols Sing of Our Traditions

By Norris Burkes, Dec 27 2020 Last week, I joined a socially distanced group of Christmas-caroling neighbors on a local golf course. Scattered around the 16th hole, we sang from our pandemic pods into the darkened night. Yes, I still sing the old carols, even though I know that some of the lyrics don’t hold

Untangling Christmas

By Noris Burkes Dec 20, 2020 In 2015, the British supermarket company, Tesco, posted a job opening for a “Christmas Light Untangler.” Yup. Apparently, the lucky hire ran the store’s “Christmas Lights Detangling stand.” Tesco provided the free service as a place where customers brought miles of tree lights to be professionally detangled.  Oh, how

Ministerially Speaking

Chaplain Dale Swan tells of his Hospice work in COVID times By Norris Burkes, Dec 13 2020 Two years ago I wrote a column titled, “Fake News Hurts Real People.” The column detailed the difficult health situation my brother is in because he filled his days listening to conspiracy theories and alternate health

Navigating our differences over the holiday turkey

By Norris Burkes and Sara Brakhane Dec 4 2020 No matter which “turkey” you voted for, these post-election days seem to shadow our holiday celebrations. Stir the pandemic into the mix, and the political tensions between our friends and family, and watch the pot quickly overboil.  But need it be like that? Is there a way

What is Advent?*

By Norris Burkes Nov 29 Today is the first Sunday of Advent. If you are among the many who will ask, “What exactly is that?” don’t feel bad. I was raised in the home of a Southern Baptist pastor where we equated the word “Advent” with the start of the Christmas-shopping race. But if you

A Feline Prayer Opens New Feelings*

By Norris Burkes Nov 20 2020 In spite of an early morning rain, my day at the Sacramento VA Medical Center began like most days had during my 25-year career as a healthcare chaplain.  After checking voicemails and emails, I took the elevator up to patient floors where I began visiting veterans with critical diagnoses

Mundane Heroism Gets the Job Done*

By Norris Burkes Nov 15 2020 This past week as I enjoyed my free Veterans Day meal at a local restaurant, I couldn’t help but shy away from the word hero that emblazoned the restaurant signage. I think most people who served their county feel as I do. We were asked to do a job

The Black and White of Veterans Day

By Norris Burkes, Nov 8 2020 With Veterans Day approaching, I want to celebrate you, fellow Taxpayer! You  are financing the wonderful GI Bill for our veterans. This 1944 legislation immeasurably impacted my life beginning even before I was born. My father joined the Army Air Corp in the closing months of WWII. Like everyone

Prepare to Lose

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvgqRKYapU8 By Norris Burkes Oct 30 2020 Next week, your favored man is going to lose this presidential race – at least that’s the statistical probability for about half of those reading today’s column. The loss may well send you into distress, despair, and disappointment as you endure hoots, hollers and honking horns from

Irrational Labels Limit Relationships*

By Norris Burkes, 23 October 2020 In a time before COVID, I found myself in a boarding line clinching the coveted A-lister pass issued by Southwest Airlines. The pass granted me privileged first-choice seating while B- and C-listers scrambled for significance. Inside the plane a flight attendant cheerfully suggested a front seat.   “Wonderful. Looks

Diet of Worms for the Persecuted*

By Norris Burkes Oct 18, 2020 Did you ever sing that classic campfire song, “Nobody Likes Me”? “Nobody likes me, everybody hates me,  Guess I’ll go eat worms.  Long, slim, slimy ones,  Big, fat, juicy ones,  The kind that wiggle and squirm.” The lyrics from yesteryear’s campfires were sung in a self-deprecating style poking fun at

God’s Will for Breakfast Choices *

By Norris Burkes, Oct 9 2020 My wife, Becky, came into the kitchen last week to find me rooting through the refrigerator.  “Something wrong?” she asked. “Yes,” I said. “God wants me to have eggs and sausage, but my doctor wants me to eat oatmeal.” “Do you and God routinely discuss breakfast options?” she asked