The stories we don’t tell
by“Don’t buy a house in Second Ward.” Maybe I shouldn’t have been surprised when a pastor who was new to our community told me…
church
What word to bring for Easter?
byOn my way to church Sunday, I heard an NPR story about a ministry to homeless youth in Seattle. The tables are set once…
Ten things I did instead of writing an editorial about local government
by“What can we do?” So many people I know are asking this question right now, as the new President of the United States begins…
Tom McEnroe’s Last Sabbath
byThe Sabbath had its special place in his Irish heart A man of very few words & an early riser… Never late for church,…
How the light gets in
byI. I drive south from Fort Wayne—Vera Bradley, Fried chicken, Huggy Bear Motel, Pilot Gas—while the radio stations fade, one by one, into sermons…
Sabbath for hard times
byAll those people out there walking the roads all those years, hardly a one of them remembering the Sabbath. Who would know what day…
Sleepwalking in Russia
byWhen I was nine years old, a dream led me to wander downstairs. I awoke, a sleep-crumpled bird in the nest corners of the…
The loud silence of disbelief
byWhat’s the surest way to shut down conversation in a group of Christians? It’s to say you’re not sure what you believe anymore. Ask…
Sweeping abusers under the bridge
byEditor’s note: Each Thursday, we feature a throwback piece from Topology’s predecessor, catapult magazine. In this essay from 2012, an author who is active…
Community Lunch
byAllegan, Michigan (2015) The First Presbyterian Church of Allegan started the Community Lunch in 2011. It slowly grew and was supported through grant funding,…