Uncategorized
One of the most enduring stories in scripture, for me, comes from Joshua 4, where Joshua is explaining to the people how they were to mark what had happened in their lives. When the entire nation had finished crossing over the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua: “Select twelve men
Uncategorized
One of my dad’s favorite songs was “You Never Even Call Me By My Name,” which was written by John Prine and Steve Goodman and most famously recorded by David Allen Coe. I don’t know the story of how my dad came to find the song, much less
Uncategorized
october is warming up like august -- two months ago where we stood in a summer cemetery singing gospel songs and saying goodbye goodbye grief, I think, is hot -- not cold a burning, swarming absence that gets under your skin and won’t let you find a cool place
Uncategorized
these are my favorite days when the summer’s shellacking is painted over by fall’s crisp palette of expectancy and comfort I want to match the colors with aromas savory and sweet -- layers of flavor and hope that sustain as the nights grow longer and winter hangs on
Uncategorized
During the days I was in Texas before my dad died, my friend Christy sent me a record by Darden Smith called Love Calling . The whole album is filled with songs of informed hope and determined love. Her offering was truly a gift I needed in those moments. One line
Uncategorized
One of the traditions in church I don’t take easily is that of changing the lyrics of hymns -- for whatever reasons. Down the years, however, those who have served on the committees who have collected and compiled the hymns have felt free to alter the texts (as they
Uncategorized
Many years ago, my friend Billy Crockett and I read an article about a ship captain who, with his crew, abandoned ship when it began to sink, leaving the passengers on board. The story led us to the song title, "Down With the Ship," which ended up being
Uncategorized
One afternoon, when I was in fifth grade, my father bent down to pick up an ice cream freezer in the carport of our home in Lusaka, Zambia. The freezer was well-used and I have fond memories of sitting on a towel folded across the top of the gears as
Uncategorized
I spent the morning working on this slideshow. The music is from the "True Grit" soundtrack. Peace, Milton
poetry
My father, Milton Cunningham, died August 3, 2013. He was a little over a month away from his eighty-fifth birthday. What follows here are what I said at his memorial service last Wednesday, including a poem I wrote for him entitled "The Skin You're In." I&
Uncategorized
I spent another Monday in Raleigh this week -- my third one. The North Carolina Chapter of the NAACP has sponsored the events, which have become known as Moral Mondays, as a response to the damaging laws being passed down b y our state legislature during this session which include
Uncategorized
I preached at our church yesterday. I went a little “off book” during the sermon, so the manuscript is the best recreation I could do. _________________________________ Luke 7:36-50 “Forgive Us Our Debts” A Sermon for Pilgrim United Church of Christ, Durham NC June 16, 2013 The listserv in our old