Religion

Father Duke at S.S. Cyril & Methodius has been here over thirty years. He has given us faith, trust, and understanding. Yes, we have even felt his wrath when we did something stupid, but he always understood.

Remember when we were kids, if we saw a priest, it was always “Good morning” or “Good afternoon Father” and that was it. With Father Duke, parents, children, and grandchildren give him a hug when he does something special, which is very often.

I met Father Duke when he was six or seven years old. He was such a quiet, shy little boy and so very sweet.  His sister Carol and I were best friends in grade school and high school, which was upstairs at St. Francis.  Sometimes he would walk to school with us.

One of my hobbies is studying medicine. That sounds funny, I know, but I love to study human anatomy and physiology as a pastime. I am fascinated by the structure and function, and even the pathology, of the human body. It is not as if I have a plethora of free time, but I would rather read an article on endocrinology in JAMA than watch a sitcom on NBC. Strange? Yes, but it is also fun!

I have been thinking about miracles a lot lately.  How often do miracles occur — or do they?  A friend once admitted, “I believe that miracles happened in Biblical times, but they do not occur anymore.”  What, exactly, constitutes a miracle?  (The conversation between Samuel Jackson's and John Travolta’s characters in Pulp Fiction is making me chuckle as I write this.)

I believe in miracles.  They happen all the time.  They do not need to be burning bush or water into wine experiences.  They can be simple, and ever-present.  A miracle occurs every time God chooses to enter the human drama.  And God does that a lot.

Ironically, God’s recurrent appearances do not have to be grand manifestations.  In other words, it isn’t just making “the impossible possible,” as Travolta’s “Vince” waxes in the aforementioned Quentin Tarantino film.  It is God entering our lives and touching us in deep, profound, spiritual ways — ways that occur more often than we realize.

 

MINISTERIAL MUSINGS

We often approach January 1st with resolutions: the weight we need to shed, the nicotine we need to stop breathing, the Scriptures we hope to traverse in one year. Ten, nine, eight…we pop the champagne and pour libations for the family members and friends watching Dick Clark…seven, six, five…we raise a toast in hopes of peace and health…four, three, two…we breathe in the last seconds of the year with hope and maybe a bit of trepidation…one…here it comes…zero…we holler “Happy New Year!” and kiss our significant others. Confetti flies across many a bar room. Frigid bodies in Times Square scream in unison jubilation. In Boston, the remains of 2009 are scattered among tables of chicken fingers, egg rolls, and pork lo mein. We hit the hay and awake to a national holiday. For me it is forty-eight hours of The Twilight Zone on the SyFy Channel and the day before my birthday. For others it is the first day of the resolutions that they won’t keep — the same ones they made twelve months earlier and abandoned shortly after. Is that all there is? Is that all that the New Year has to offer? (Read: rhetorical question.) Obviously, the answer is no. The New Year falls perfectly within the Christian liturgical calendar. We are still in the midst of the twelve days of Christmas — and not because of that song. The birth that we celebrated a week before is still with us. Bethlehem still stands by the living room evergreen whose brown needles emit a stronger scent of winter pine. Our hearts are still aglow with the promises the Christ child brings. Maybe this can be a resolution in itself? No, I am not saying that we make everyday Christmas. (Capitalism has already stretched it from two weeks to two months.) What I am suggesting, though, is that maybe the hope the Christ child brings can burn in our hearts the rest of the year.

Every once in a while a reader will ask me a question.  This one comes from a friend in Boston.  She asked, “If a person is brain dead, where does his/her soul reside?”

That’s a good question.  I’ll take a stab at it.

Medical science used to define the time of death as the moment the heart stops beating.  According to the popular online encyclopedia Wikipedia, brain death “is a legal definition of death that refers to the irreversible end of all brain activity.”  This has been the clinical definition since 1981 with the publication of the Uniform Determination of Death Act (UDDA).  Section One of the act clearly states, death is determined when “An individual…has sustained either (1) irreversible cessation of circulatory and respiratory functions, or (2) irreversible cessation of all functions of the entire brain, including the brain stem….”

The hustle and bustle is here. It isn’t even Thanksgiving as I write this, and yet our commercialized culture tells us it is the season of Christmas. The funny thing is that the “Christmas season” does not really begin until December 25 and remains with us all the way to Epiphany (January 6). Yes, that Yuletide song “The Twelve Days of Christmas” has liturgical significance, although I have no desire to receive a partridge in a pear tree, three French hens, or seven swans a swimming.  (Lots of birds in that piece!)

Advent is the season leading up to Christmas, a time of anticipation and preparation for the Christmas event. We in the lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender community have not always been welcomed by the church, often causing us to feel isolated from spiritual companions during this wonderful time of year. That is about to change. This year, Liberation Church is hosting a series of Advent services on four consecutive Wednesday evenings beginning December 2nd. We are calling the services “Tré Gay Taizé” since they are based on the prayer services of the Taizé Community in France. Each service is especially designed to welcome the LGBT community into a contemplative spiritual experience with others in meditation, prayer, music and reflections on Advent from a queer perspective. This will be a time of respite from the hectic pace of everyday life during this busy time of year. The services begin at 7:00 p.m., but come early because a light supper will be served before the service at 6:00 p.m. Everyone is welcome to join us for the free supper to meet new friends and share stories over a meal. As Dr. Seuss wrote and the people of Whoville sang:   

Nothing has divided the Christian Church more in the last few decades than the issue of homosexuality. Even the controversy surrounding the ordination of women—which is still a contested issue even in some mainline denominations—pales in comparison to the quarrels that have not only divided liberal churches from the Religious Right, but many a house against itself as well.

Recently, the focus has been on gay marriage in particular. Several states (including Ohio) have passed constitutional amendments, “To protect the sanctity of marriage,” to quote the Pat Robertsons of the world. Apparently, male-male and female-female unions are going to be the fatal flaw in the already dysfunctional foundation of the American family. Domestic violence, child neglect, alcoholism, drug abuse, divorce, illiteracy, the welfare system, unemployment, lack of affordable housing and healthcare…none of these seem to pose the same threat to the American family (as if it were a monolith) as two consenting adults wanting to publicly affirm what they already have the right to do: be a couple in love. For the life of me, I cannot perceive how granting ten percent of the population the same right that my wife and I and millions of other Americans take for granted is going to fracture our “traditional” family or anyone else’s.

There once was a preacher who wasn’t prepared to deliver a sermon one Sunday morning. He prayed to God for inspiration and decided that he would open the Bible to two random sections — one in the Old Testament and one in the New — and that would be the focus of his homily. His finger first landed on Genesis 4:8: “Cain rose up against his brother Abel, and killed him.” OK, he thought. Then he flipped open to Luke 10:37: “Jesus said to him, ‘Go and do likewise.’"

“Excuse me, sir.  Do you have any spare change?”

Soon, churches will be celebrating what is often called Rally Day.  This marks the beginning of a new church year as choirs and Sunday school classes (along with many members) return from summer’s rest.   And to their congregations, leaders of faith communities will be proclaiming messages of hope – hope that allows us to believe life can be a pageant of joy.  It is the right message for just these times.   It will not be some sweet, saccharine statement that dares to suggest all moments in life are victorious. It is not a proclamation meant to insult the intellect by denying there are real problems to face and overcome. We know our businesses do not always flourish.  Our relationships are not always vibrant, and hard work and constant study do not guarantee success.Those who speak of faithful hope and life as a celebration of joy will not be suggesting that life is without anxiety. It does mean, however, that because of our trust in love’s ultimate victory over the powers that would diminish us, we can live with triumphant hope even in the face of difficult times and circumstance.   Our faith calls us to reach for the horizons beyond our own troubles and radiating hope to others. Off the coast of Labrador, you will find the towering icebergs that soar high in the air.  What is most surprising is that they all sail south.  While that might not seem strange at all, it is important to know that they are sailing south against the strong winds that blow against them.  What allows the icebergs to move against the wind and waves crashing against them?   The answer lies in the fact that the vast majority of their mass is below the surface, and beneath that surface is the mighty Labrador Current. In spite of the buffeting strength of the wind and waves, the icebergs sail south as they are carried along by the unseen current below the surface.The triumph of faithful hope moves in the same way.  Against the difficulties of life and the challenges before us, it can carry us through the trials and limitations of life.   It is easy to become cynical with our world:  unspeakable horrors are visited upon people every day, physical and emotional abuse is all too common in the homes of every neighborhood. We witness how ancient hatreds, made even more deadly through modern weapons, can wreak havoc on a people.   So, is it possible to proclaim that life can be filled with the triumph of hope and the celebration of community?  I would ask: Do we dare think otherwise?  Do we dare give in, believing ourselves to be powerless to confront the forces that would diminish even one member of our human family?There are times when it would seem God asks the impossible of us. There are moments when faith demands more than we think we can bear.  Faith in God demands that we not only see a light at the end of the tunnel, but to also know that the light is calling us to move forward, to step with confidence and trust into the darkness that sometimes stands before us. This journey of life is not without its detours and difficult obstacles – but it is our journey to make. And it is our time to make it.  Our communities are best served when the power and enthusiasm of faithful hope are brought to bear on the difficulties before us. Lakewood and the surrounding area are well served by many faith communities, each bringing to bear their vision of a better world, and seeking to bring the faithful message of hope to all.    by Reverend Mark Thomas,
Senior Pastor, Lakewood Congregational Church 

MINISTERIAL MUSINGS: “Love Thy Neighbor”By the Rev. John Tamilio III

Stop.  Take a moment to read Ephesians 4:25-5:2.

In the spirit of pushing the envelope and tackling controversial issues (which I am wont to do), I want to elucidate a national campaign that was birthed in Tremont.

Earlier this year, the church I serve (Pilgrim Congregational United Church of Christ) decided that our clergy would no longer sign state-issued marriage licenses, nor would we allow them to be signed on our property.  To us, this is a pertinent social justice issue.  Because same-gender couples are not allowed to get married in Ohio (and many other states), we feel that as officers of the state — which clergy essentially are when they sign that piece of paper — we are complying with a blatant injustice.

But it goes further than that.

Ministerial Musings: Capital Punishment is a Capital OffenseThe Rev. John Tamilio III 

“To different minds, the same world is a hell, and a heaven,” — Ralph Waldo Emerson.

 “Is Adolf Hitler in Hell?”  This is a question that inevitably comes up when I talk to people about God’s grace.  If God is all-loving and all-forgiving, why would the Creator of Heaven and Earth condemn anyone to the fires of Perdition?  Is there even a Hell?

I think there is…and I think there isn’t.  Let me explain before I answer the Hitler query.

Isaiah 61:1-2

In my Easter sermon, I mentioned that I am not much of a “blogger.” I simply do not have the time. My wife, Susan, however, recently launched her own “blog” entitled, “Learning to Love and Live the Questions.”

This piece is much more controversial than what I usually write in this column, but I feel the need to get these thoughts out on paper.

 “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live” (Deuteronomy 30:19).  This is one of the verses that the Pro-Life movement employs; it was one of the verses that an evangelist recently recited to me as he distributed anti-abortion literature (which included graphic images of aborted fetuses) in downtown Cleveland.

Before the steam rises from your ears, nota bene: if you are Pro-Life, fine; if you are Pro-Choice, fine. This article does not seek to engage in that debate; that is not my intention.

After thumbing through the salvation salesman’s pamphlet, I asked him what his position was on the death penalty. He said, “The Bible says ‘an eye for an eye’ so I am for it.”  I then asked him to share his views on war. “If you mean the War in Iraq,” he said, “I am definitely in favor of it.  This war is helping us spread the Christian message and our way of life around the world!”

I expected that he would respond that way.

Many (though certainly not all) of the Pro-Life people I have encountered are also in favor of capital punishment and war, especially when the latter is advanced under the banner of the American flag, which they equate with the cross of Christ. Call it Constantinianism or Manifest Destiny gone amok. Either way, you get my point.

Are religious doctrines that are used to advocate for the sanctity of life reserved strictly to a woman’s uterus? Are not the lives of the young men and women called to bear arms — not to mention the civilian casualties that inevitably lie in the wake of combat — also sacred? And why do we continually quote the three “eye for an eye” commandments in the Torah, but turn a blind eye to the clemency-laden teachings of Jesus, such as “I desire mercy not sacrifice,” “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,” and dare we forget Christ’s response to the mob who wanted to stone the woman caught in adultery: “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Jesus valued life…all life.

Is this not an ethic for us all to endorse?

I do not know a single Pro-Choice advocate who is Pro-Abortion. The issue for them is about a woman’s right to chose and to not allow the government to interfere with an individual’s reproductive rights. Believe it or not, you can chose not to have an abortion yourself, but feel as if this delicate and complex decision needs to be determined by each person in a country that advocates freedom for all.

What baffles me is the itinerant preacher I met, who claims that abortion is the killing of human life, but that the life of the individual on death row or on the battlefield is not as sacred. I do not understand this quandary at all.

As God spoke to the Israelites through Moses and Aaron, so God is still speaking to us. We are called to choose life by honoring the dignity and the sanctity of all people, not just some.

The Rev. John Tamilio III is the Religion Columnist for The Lakewood Observer and the Senior Pastor of Pilgrim Congregational United Church of Christ in Tremont.  He can be reached at johnt@pilgrimalive.org.  JT3 lives in Lakewood with his wife and their three children.

When people hear the phrase “the prophetic voice” they often think of “prophecy”: predicting the future, soothsaying, Ouija boards, runes, Tarot cards, palm reading, and the like. From a biblical perspective, prophecy has to do with far more than this.

Liberation United Church of Christ, located at 13714 Madison Ave. at the corner of Madison and Parkwood Avenues, is one of many wonderful spiritual communities in Lakewood that offer encouragement and an enriching spiritual experience to everyone who enters. This year, as the Spring and Easter seasons approach, Liberation UCC would like to extend an invitation to those who may be thinking about attending a church service. Liberation UCC is an inclusive community that truly embraces the United Church of Christ theme of “No Matter Who You are or Where You Are on Life’s Journey, You Are Welcome Here.”

You will most likely be reading this article the day before Ash Wednesday — the day before Lent begins — or maybe during the initial days of Lent. Lent is the forty-day penitential season (not including Sundays) when the Christian community prepares for Easter.

We are in the throes of Lent: the forty day penitential season (not including Sundays) when the Christian community prepares for Easter: the day of resurrection.

Renowned Methodist theologian Laurence Hull Stookey (brother of Noel “Paul” Stookey of Peter, Paul, and Mary fame) reminds us that “In the early centuries, forty days was the time sufficient for converts to make their final, intensive preparation for baptism; and thus a pattern for Lent developed. So also the ancient baptismal preparation dictated this period to be a time of particular devotion and discipline” (Stookey 1996: 79). When I was growing up, I had many friends who were Catholic. They had to attend CCD and loathed it, although I was envious — I wished my local United Church of Christ congregation required such formative, religious training.  (Yes, I was destined to be a minister!) These same friends used to discuss “the thing” they had to give up for Lent. Often times it was chocolate, playing baseball, or watching the Boston Bruins…something that would help them identify with the passion of Christ. As if Jesus is a Boston Bruins fan. A Red Sox fan, DEFINITELY, but I’m not sure about the Bruins thing. (Besides, I don’t think Jesus could skate. Walk on water? Sure. Skating? That’s another thing. But I digress…)

In recent years, many Christian traditions have taken a different slant when it comes to Lent. Instead of asking their adherents to give something up, they have encouraged them to adopt a spiritual practice over these six and a half weeks. First of all, this presents a more positive, life-giving theology. It is not just shrouded in the doom-and-gloom of the cross (although that is certainly a crucial Lenten symbol). Developing a Lenten discipline will hopefully follow us beyond the empty tomb. 

“Peace is not the absence of affliction, but the presence of God.”— Author Unknown Take a moment to read Matthew 6:25-34.  Got it?  Good.  We’ll come back to it in a minute. I came home the other day and found my pension plan fourth quarter statement waiting for me in the mailbox.  I opened it slowly, hoping that it might include one of Willy Wonka’s five golden tickets.  Instead, it contained a message written in numbers: Pray all you want, Rev. Tamilio, but you will never be able to retire.  And then, after I put the statement aside and opened the newspaper, I read even more dire headlines: corporate downsizing contributes to the rising unemployment rate nationwide; more and more urban families lose their homes to mortgage foreclosures; fraudulent investors cost retirees their life savings. I exhaled and looked around the room.  There was my wife and our three children.  All of them healthy and laughing.  Susan had just returned from Giant Eagle, so our refrigerator was filled with food.  There were clothes on our backs, a roof over our heads, and I had a job waiting for me in the morning.  Pray all you want, Rev. Tamilio, but you will never be able to retire.  Maybe that is true.  Maybe it isn’t.  Regardless, in the midst of a dismal economy, I realized that I had no right to have a pity-party over a piece of paper with numbers that would not concern me for twenty-five years.  I am part of a culture that is richer than the vast majority of the world’s population. Something else struck me in the midst of this reflection: the words from the middle of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount.  (I said we would get back to them.) Jesus was speaking to a multitude of poor folks assembled on a hillside.  Many of them did not know where their next meal was coming from, let alone how they would pay the heavy taxes levied upon them by the Roman Empire.  They gathered around this itinerant rabbi looking for an answer—a word of liberation.  Instead, they were told not to fret: “do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear.”  Can you imagine them turning to one another in astonishment and asking, “What did he say?  Don’t worry?  All we do is worry!  Do we have a choice?” But Jesus’ words to them are the same words that he speaks to us today.  “Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your God feeds them.  Are you not of more value than they?”  We need to trust God.  We need to trust that God will provide for our physical needs no matter what the stock market or the morose economic prognosticators say. True freedom comes when we realize that we are not in control of our lives—as much as we like to think that we are—and that we need to trust in the grace of our benevolent God to see us through whatever curve balls life throws at us.  Is this easy to do?  No.  But it will enable us to plumb our spiritual depths and uncover an abundance of hope, which is probably what the world needs now more than anything else. — The Rev. John Tamilio III is the new Religion Columnist for The Lakewood Observer.  JT3 is the Senior Minister of Pilgrim Congregational United Church of Christ in Tremont. He, his wife Susan, and their three children live in Lakewood.

The question about the relationship between Church and politics came to the fore of many voters’ minds during the last Presidential election. People were concerned with whether or not Barack Obama was a Muslim and they probed his relationship with his former pastor, The Rev. Jeremiah Wright. They debated the significance of Mitt Romney being a Mormon and how “Pentecostal” Sarah Palin actually was. We are obsessed with the line between religion and politics in this country — those two taboo subjects that your parents warned you never to discuss with friends.

Once I accepted the call to be the new Senior Pastor of the historic Pilgrim Congregational United Church of Christ in Tremont (a Just Peace and an Open and Affirming congregation), my wife and I began looking for communities in which we would raise our three children.  It did not take us long to select Lakewood.

Grace Lutheran Church will offer a Live Nativity Scene on Saturday, December 20th, from 6 P.M. to 8 P.M. Grace is located at 13030 Madison Avenue directly across the street from Madison Park...

On Wednesday, November 26, the Lakewood Ministerial Association will co-host “Be Thankful” an ecumenical celebration with special musical guests, Scott Troyer and Katie Nelson - - - two new voices in the realm of contemporary Christian music, who are currently touring through the northeast United States.

The service will begin at 7 pm, with a seasonal reception preceding the service at 6:15 pm. Location: The Lakewood Baptist Church (14321 Detroit Avenue; corner of Detroit and Lincoln Avenues)...

Lakewood Baptist to the Cleveland Metropolitan Chorus

The Lakewood Baptist Church is honored to host the Cleveland Metropolitan Chorus for a special benefit concert on Sunday, October 26 at 7:00 pm. All are invited and welcomed!

The Cleveland Metropolitan Chorus is a pan-denominational, non-for-profit group committed to presenting concerts of sacred music and classic favorites throughout the greater Cleveland community.

Gethsemane Lutheran Church in Lakewood will host a presentation about how families can help minister to refugees in our midst, including the growing Burmese population. The hour-long presentation will take place from 10:15 to 11:15 am on Sunday, Nov. 2 in the Gethsemane downstairs fellowship hall, 14560 Madison Avenue. Brian Upton of Building Hope in the City, an organization committed to strengthening urban ministry, will present...

News of this spring’s rioting in Haiti over dramatically rising food prices held special significance for several area Lutheran churches, including Gethsemane Lutheran Church in Lakewood. Gethsemane members Lynn Scheerhorn, Gary Dittmar (also principal of Lakewood Lutheran School), Andrew Dittmar, and Jesse McDonald had returned home to Northeast Ohio only days before violence erupted in the typically calm coastal city of Les Cayes, Haiti. And a second mission trip was scheduled to leave for Les Cayes in less than a month...

On Sunday, October 5, 2008 the six Catholic Churches that make up The Community of Cleveland West/Lakewood Cluster are holding a Liturgy and picnic at Lakewood Park Women’s Pavilion, and the surrounding area. The day is planned as a way for the parishioners of the churches to come together and share in fellowship, worship and a meal. The six churches are Saint Clement, Saints Cyril and Methodius, Saint Hedwig, Saint James, Saint Luke and Saint Rose of Lima...

Did you pick up some free soap at the Arts Festival? If you did then you stopped by the Lakewood United Methodist Church booth. This was the first of many ways in which we are trying to reach out to you who are searching for God. In the days ahead there will be many ways in which you will have an opportunity to get to know us at Lakewood UMC, but more importantly, there will be many ways for you to get to know God. Let me tell you about a few...

In the fall of 2008, Gethsemane Lutheran Church welcomes three distinguished pastors as part of its 60th anniversary celebration. Each has served Gethsemane and the greater Cleveland community in a variety of ways in the past, present, and future...

He was at the door. It is not unusual for people to come to the door at Trinity Lutheran. For now, I will call him Bill. For it is hard for people to ask for help and privacy is needed. I’ve been there...

Let’s face it: Times are tough. People are feeling “the pinch.” Even with all the great developments in our city, many folks in Lakewood, and many people around the nation are contending with the harsh realities of inflation, political angst, unemployment, rising living expenses, and – of course – the “pain at the pump” as gas prices have reached an all time high...

“Every day,” quipped Lenny Bruce. “people are straying from the church and going back to God.”

It was more than 50 years ago when the acerbic comedian made that observation, but there are indeed signs that “church-going” could become a thing of the past...

Sister Annette Sinagra, the sister of former Lakewood Mayor Anthony Singara, celebrated her Golden Jubilee Anniversary as an Adrian Dominican Sister on Sunday July 13th.

Currently ministering at the Motherhouse in Adrian, Michigan, Sister Annette served rural and urban people in the Dominican Republic. Her ministry in the Dominican Republic focused on the education and organization of struggling farmers...

During June there will be no weddings at Trinity Lutheran this year. Why? Our membership is already attached, widowed, single by choice, too young, or the State won’t allow such. Did you know the median age of membership at Trinity is 42? Many other congregations indicate theirs at 62 or higher. This makes for interesting ministry and life growth programming...

Mothers’ Day 2008 saw the unveiling of what NBC and Teleflora referred to as “America’s Favorite Mom”. Patti Patton-Bader -- founder of Soldiers’ Angels, the nation’s largest all-volunteer military support organization -- was selected. But one of her four fellow finalists, Nora Leon, also has some Lakewood ties...

This is the first in a planned series of articles about the wide variety of religious establishments serving the spiritual needs of all Lakewoodites. We encourage our readers to submit articles about their religious experiences.

We live in Lakewood where we have two long-term mainstays of life – taverns and churches. Needless to say, they probably serve the same people, not that there is anything wrong with that!

Derby Day is the theme for the Church of the Ascension’s 2nd annual Night at the Races charity event to be held Friday, May 2. Doors open at 6 p.m. at the church, 13216 Detroit Ave., Lakewood. A silent auction is also part of the festivities. Beverages and food will be available. Proceeds assist in funding the ministries provided to the community by the church. More information is available by calling the church office at 216-521-8727

A group of 12 students from Arkansas on March 18 and 19, 2008 spent their spring break working to improve the Lakewood community...

A hymn written by William A. Dunkerley tells us that ‘in Christ there is no East or West, in Him no South or North’. For youth involved in Lakewood Congregational Church’s (LCC) production of Godspell, we can add ‘no male or female’ to that list...

St. Rose Church is presenting a series of Lenten speakers over the next six weeks. The wide range of topics were selected to appeal to all members of the community. Each of the Monday programs runs from 7:00pm to 8:30pm in the Church hall...

I get frustrated. I want the world to be a better place, but it seems to be deteriorating around me not just day-by-day, but minute-by-minute. I try to do what I can to have a positive impact on the world while working full-time, raising two small children and being supportive of a husband with a new business...

Lakewood Presbyterian Church will dedicate the new L. Wilson Kilgore Ministry Center at its 10:30 worship service on Sunday December 2, 2007...

Trinity Lutheran Church and Faith Lutheran Church held their annual summer Peace Camp the week of July 9 at Faith. The theme for Peace Camp this year was, “Listen, God is calling.”

Worshipers entering St. Peter’s Episcopal Church on a sunny Sunday morning immediately see the light - literally. The traditional rich purple, red and gold colors of the stained-glass windows circling the interior of the stone structure are a delight to body and soul. The windows tell the whole of salvation history, old and new testaments. The main window features a royal Jesus, flanked by Moses and St. Paul.

The North Coast United Methodist Church District will hold their Annual Leadership Academy at Lakewood United Methodist Church, 15700 Detroit Avenue on Saturday, February 3rd from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Registration will begin at 8 a.m. and the fee is $6.00. The Rev. Dr. Paul W. Chilcote, ordained United Methodist elder, professor, missionary, author and editor will be the keynote speaker. His address will be "Easter Vixion/Missional Church: Recapturing the Vision/Mission with the Wesleys' Help." This speech will include the significant developments in the rediscovery of the missional church.

Pumpkins, ghosts and goblins will be joined by goats, bees and chicks in the West End of Lakewood on Saturday, October 28 from 2- 4 p.m. While the Lakewood Chamber of Commerce holds their Annual West End Halloween Window Walk, Lakewood Congregational Church will be hosting their Harvest Festival and Heifer Project International Living Gift Market.

The workshop, Biblical Storytelling: Telling the Sacred Story in Worship, will be held at Trinity Lutheran Church on Saturday, October 28, 2006. Registration: begins at 8:30am and the workshop follows from 9:00am to 2:30pm.

Many have likened the ups and downs of living with cancer to a roller coaster ride. For me, now four years after being diagnosed with advanced ovarian cancer - surgery, 38 chemos, two remissions, and two recurrences - I imagine it as more like a teeter-totter.

It was March 1, 2004 and I found myself in a new place - a suburb on the West side of Cleveland called Lakewood. Since it was my first time in this city, I sought to discover what this place was all about.

On June 11, Lakewood Presbyterian Church broke ground for a three million dollar building renovation. The project will include replacing a fifteen thousand square foot education and office complex with a new building and renovating much of the remaining building. The new structure, to be named the L. Wilson Kilgore Education Center, in honor of a former minister, will include offices, class rooms, conference areas, a "gathering area," and meeting rooms.

Grace Lutheran Church, located across from Madison Park at 13030 Madison Avenue, announces their schedule of worship events for the Advent and Christmas seasons. The congregation cordially invites all residents of Lakewood and Vicinity to join them for these special worship opportunities as they celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ over 2000 years ago to win the salvation of the world, and as they look forward to His promised return in power and great glory.