Service by Diane Johnson Assistant Certified Lay Leader Thanks to Diane Johnson for filling in for me yesterday. Don Olsen and I went to the Annual Conference last week and it was a great help to me to have Diane lead the service so I could concentrate on getting ready for the conference and a [...]
The Real Higher Power (Luke 8: 26-39) When I got to the Olympic Peninsula in June of 2008 to begin work as Jefferson County’s newest deputy prosecuting attorney, I was excited to learn that we had a Drug Court. Previously as a district attorney in East Texas I had researched the feasibility of starting [...]
I Will Do My Best (Acts 2: 1-21 and Romans 8: 14-17) I imagine that growing up in the Tri-Area in the 1950s and 60s was much like my childhood growing up in Warners, New York. Other than black and white television shows and party-line telephone service there wasn’t much to do to keep [...]
Nothing But the Truth (John 16: 12-15 & Romans 5: 1-5) Upon meeting my clients, most of whom were being held in the county jail, one of the first things I would tell them is that they would never catch me in a lie because I would always tell them the truth no matter [...]
All Fired Up (Luke 24: 44-53 and Acts 1: 1-11) I loved Little League baseball, looking forward every year to a new season full of new possibilities. The anticipation of the umpire yelling “Play Ball” on opening day was thrilling and terrifying all at the same time. I had done everything I could imagine [...]
Conflict Resolution (John 14: 23-29) For a person who desires to get along with most people, who goes out of his way to avoid personal conflict, I’ve made a pretty good living in the art of conflict resolution. As a police officer I would respond to all sorts of calls, many of which involved [...]
Expecting a Miracle (Acts 9: 32-43) You’ve heard it said by someone who was in a desperate state facing a difficult situation not knowing where to turn for help or relief say something along the lines of “I’m praying for a miracle” or maybe you’ve been in such a situation yourself. Being forced to [...]
Protect and Serve (John 21: 1-19) In order to become a Houston Police Officer, you first had to apply, pass a background check, and a polygraph examination. Then, if you were lucky, you were accepted into a sixteen-week academy where trained and experienced instructors taught you the various aspects of policing on such topics [...]
Believing Without Seeing (John 20: 19-31) Back when I was one of the sergeants over the DWI Task Force of the Houston Police Department, we had some of the best and most dedicated drunk hunters you could assemble. Charlie Green was one of my road warriors and he was easily at the top of [...]
A Good Question (Luke 24: 1-12) Over the course of the past several years you have heard me speak fondly of my grandfather, the Rev. Clyde Rosekrans, who was a Methodist minister before the Methodists became united towards the end of the 1960s. He baptized me and I grew up in the small Methodist [...]