NO, THE BANNER is not going to the dogs. Just this page.

As a growing boy I was good at playing marbles in our Detroit neighborhood.

Most people are interested in their origins. Some who are adopted will go to great lengths to discover the identity of their parents.

As a seminarian years ago, I pastored a small congregation. I was the preacher, the janitor, and the pianist. All for $5 a week.

I preached the installation sermons recently for two colleagues, newly ensconced in nearby churches.

I visited ours recently. Calvin Seminary. The present emphasis is on better preaching. Good! God is not boring!

We’ve had a bunch of them lately at our house. Birthdays, anniversaries, and such. Each day is special.

On vacation. We sat in a Baptist church. The preacher held forth beneath a large round window of plain glass.

When Did Christian Reformed Ministers start shaking worshipers’ hands after services?

We were out of town. Not long. Five days. But when we returned, the restaurant near the corner was gone. It disappeared! Like magic!

Quite a few sick listed in the bulletin this morning. I’ll say a prayer for each one.

My teeth were cleaned and flossed, and I was out of the dentist’s chair. No cavities. Good feeling.

Also known as “the manse.” I lived in three of them—church-owned housing. What a joy! No taxes to pay. No repairs.

It was tuesday. My wife’s birthday. We were going out for dinner. Could I take her out for lunch too?

Our denomination publishes an annual directory we call the Yearbook.

She felt overwhelmed. So much to do. So little time to do it. The advice she was getting wasn’t helping.

My wife just observed another wedding anniversary. So did I. Where have all the years gone?