Author Archives: joyocala

Roger Ebert (AKA Patty) here with another movie review. No, not really, but I did see a moving and meaningful movie last night and I feel compelled to write about it.  It is currently showing here in Ocala at both … Continue reading →

Water, I have been thinking about water recently-a lot. It is an amazing element. It is a perplexing conundrum which keeps us alive and yet can kill us. It brings us comfort and it brings us distress. It warms us … Continue reading →

A fellow pastor posted this anecdote online. “The mother of a four-year-old boy who attends worship virtually said she didn’t think he paid attention as he was usually playing with his trains and trucks during worship. She asked him what … Continue reading →

            This summer, while our sanctuary refresh is in progress, we are worshipping in Swenson Hall.  Even with two services, it is a tight squeeze, and it will be great to move back into a beautiful, “new” sanctuary.  Nevertheless, there … Continue reading →

One childhood pursuit that I hope never goes away is catching fireflies. That innocent inquisitiveness is so precious and indescribable. Seeing that tiny life form penetrate the darkness. If only it were that easy to catch the spiritual bug. It … Continue reading →

We speak often of the acceptance of diversity in our society.  Perhaps we might go a step further and speak of the celebration of diversity.   I found this paragraph in a book by Maya Angelou and chose to share it … Continue reading →

        Travel back two thousand plus years, as you go about your day, on foot, in Judea (the area of today’s Israel and Palestine), you start hearing “talk.”  Word spreads about a rabbi teaching and healing.  Would you be interested?  Possibly you become curious. … Continue reading →

I’m sure all of us have known people who are most always gloomy.  We have names for them like “Debbie Downers” for a female or “Danny Downers” for a male.  I have often referred to them as “Eeyores”, the forever … Continue reading →

I have a dear friend who is slowly fading into the realm of the unknowing. No, Carolyn isn’t actively dying, she is developing one of the many forms of age-related dementia. She has always been a sharp, observant and involved … Continue reading →

The old film Martin Luther shows him on his way to a debate in Leipzig. A caricature of Luther appears on a door with the message “Death to the Saxon Hus.” When I saw the film for the first time, that message … Continue reading →