by Guy Sayles | Jan 3, 2015 |
I’ve made an effort to record my cancer reflections on my CaringBridge site and not here. Since this post acknowledges a kind of anniversary, I am making an exception to that practice. Here’s what I posted there this morning. On December 26, 2013, I was...
by Guy Sayles | Dec 25, 2014 |
The Christmas story tells us that the Savior of the world was born in nondescript Bethlehem, a hick town which had only one claim to fame: it had been the hometown of David, Israel’s greatest king. When Jesus was born there, the tiny town didn’t have much going for...
by Guy Sayles | Dec 22, 2014 |
“God sent the angel Gabriel to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.” Notice how the Gospel of Luke introduces us to this young woman: before he tells us...
by Guy Sayles | Dec 14, 2014 |
Imagine that, under the Christmas tree, there’s a gift for you; it’s in a box about the size of a human heart, wrapped in shining bright green and topped with a velvety red bow. It has your name on it, but there’s isn’t another name. The gift is clearly for you,...
by Guy Sayles | Dec 9, 2014 |
Last Saturday afternoon, while walking downtown among crowds of tourists and Christmas shoppers, I saw and heard: An older couple fussing with each other about what to do next. They were coming out of Mast General Store. He had a huge bag in each hand. She...
by Guy Sayles | Nov 18, 2014 |
Some children’s greatest fears live underneath their beds, and their parents have gotten up many a weary night and gone to their child’s bedroom, flashlight in hand, lifted the covers, shone the light on the dusty floor, and proved, once again, that there is no...
by Guy Sayles | Nov 12, 2014 |
In a New Yorker article about Duke Ellington and race in America, I learned about a gathering of leading black jazz musicians at Yale University in 1972. There were three days of concerts, jam sessions, and workshops. Duke Ellington was there, as were...
by Guy Sayles | Oct 31, 2014 |
In my dream, the old man was dressed in once-elegant but now slightly-shabby clothes. He was in a wheelchair. Only with great difficulty could he manage to hold his head up straight. His dark eyes took-in the handful of acquaintances gathered around a...
by Guy Sayles | Oct 19, 2014 |
What follows is the text of a letter I read to the congregation of the First Baptist Church of Asheville at this morning’s worship service. Please pray both for me and for that wonderful faith-community as we enter this season of transition. Dear Friends, Across...
by Guy Sayles | Oct 17, 2014 |
Joy can be a trembling wonder. It’s like the trembling of a dog who wags his tail so hard that his whole body shakes when you come into the door at the end of a long day. It’s like the little girl who quivers with excitement on Christmas Eve. The days and weeks...
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