Books by Brice

01/22/2025

The Honorable Senator, Charles Grassley135 Hart Senate Office BuildingWashington, D.C. 20510The Honorable Ashley Hinson, US Representative2458 Rayburn House Office BuildingWashington, D.C. 20515 On Tuesday, January 22, 2025, a Service of Prayer for the Nation was held at the National Cathedral of the Episcopal Church in Washington, DC as has been the tradition the day after the inauguration since 1933....

The Honorable Senator, Charles Grassley135 Hart Senate Office BuildingWashington, D.C. 20510The Honorable Ashley Hinson, US Representative2458 Rayburn House Office BuildingWashington, D.C. 20515On …

02/06/2024

Righteousness Righteousness. Oxford Languages uses the term “morally justifiable” as part of its definition of the word righteousness. “It is in the nature of the human being to seek a justification for his actions.” ― Aleksandr I. Solzhenitsyn, The Gulag Archipelago. Solzhenitsyn experienced firsthand what it meant when those in power justified the imprisonment and destruction of those who would disagree....

Righteousness Righteousness. Oxford Languages uses the term “morally justifiable” as part of its definition of the word righteousness. “It is in the nature of the human being to seek a justificatio…

01/16/2022

Are you familiar with that expression? The Butterfly Effect? In simple form, it says a butterfly flaps its wings in South America, and the resulting ripples give birth to a hurricane off the coast of Africa. I don't know if that is literally true or not, but I do understand that everything in the world is connected. Snow in Minnesota visits Louisiana as flooding in the spring....

Are you familiar with that expression? The Butterfly Effect? In simple form, it says a butterfly flaps its wings in South America, and the resulting ripples give birth to a hurricane off the coast …

12/07/2021

Vanderbilt Divinity School prided itself on educating "Theologians." They nearly drowned us in the densest, most profound thinkers over centuries. Niebuhr, Tillich, Schleiermacher, Barth; my brain cramps just typing their names. A typical night reading the next day's assignment would be looking up every other word, then when I got to the end of the page, saying to myself, "well, I understand what all those words mean, but I still have no clue what he was trying to say."...

Vanderbilt Divinity School prided itself on educating “Theologians.” They nearly drowned us in the densest, most profound thinkers over centuries. Niebuhr, Tillich, Schleiermacher, Bart…

01/24/2021

I do love sunrises; especially when there are just enough morning clouds and dust particles to spread the morning sun into a palette of reds and peaches and magentas and purples that no artist can reproduce. The effect literally takes my breath; even when I know the truth in the sailors’ adage, “Red sky at morning, sailor take warning.” The dramatic colors warn that a storm is on the way, but they do quicken my pulse and open my heart to the urge to praise God for the unmatchable glory and beauty of creation....

I do love sunrises; especially when there are just enough morning clouds and dust particles to spread the morning sun into a palette of reds and peaches and magentas and purples that no artist can …

01/24/2021

January 24, 2021 Someone told me last week, one of the sins of the Church is that we have worshipped Christ, when that is never what Jesus said. Jesus said, “Follow me.” Follow me, he said to fishermen; set aside your vocation, set aside the ways your fathers made their identity and find a new purpose in life. Find your identity in more than the way you earn your living; find your identity in the way your life echoes mine....

January 24, 2021 Someone told me last week, one of the sins of the Church is that we have worshipped Christ, when that is never what Jesus said. Jesus said, “Follow me.” Follow me, he said to fishe…

01/10/2021

The First Sunday after the insurrection attempt and the Storming of the Capitol Building in DC. January 10, 2021 In the Christian Calendar, Sunday, January 10, 2021 was to celebrate the Baptism of Christ. It is an auspicious day for baptisms. Last year on this date, we baptized two babies, Ace Agnew and Sutton Clark. I was almost finished with a lovely, sweet sermon about babies and remembering your baptism and how baptism brings us into the family of faith and such....

The First Sunday after the insurrection attempt and the Storming of the Capitol Building in DC. January 10, 2021 In the Christian Calendar, Sunday, January 10, 2021 was to celebrate the Baptism of …

11/06/2020

I don't usually share my sermons in this blog, but in answer to a request, here is a draft planned for this Sunday: Feel free to ignore. “How the Irish Saved Civilization[1]” November 8, 2020 Zion UCC Burlington, IA Repeating part of the reading we used as our Call to Worship: Psalm 78:2-4 New Revised Standard Version I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings from of old, [ 2,111 more words ]

I don’t usually share my sermons in this blog, but in answer to a request, here is a draft planned for this Sunday: Feel free to ignore. “How the Irish Saved Civilization[1]” November 8, 2020…

10/11/2020

19th Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 23 Call to Worship (from Psalm 106) L: Praise God! P: O give thanks to God, who is SO good; whose steadfast love endures forever. L: Who can list all the mighty doings of God, or declare enough of praise? P: Blessed are those who observe justice, who do righteousness at all times. L: Save us from ourselves, O God; and gather us from every nation, that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory to your name. [ 3,043 more words ]

19th Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 23 Call to Worship (from Psalm 106) L: Praise God! P: O give thanks to God, who is SO good; whose steadfast love endures forever. L: Who can list all the mighty …

09/24/2020

Wells Fargo CEO Charlie Scharf told the truth and unintentionally exposed the root of the problem yesterday. Defending the abysmally small number of African-American employees at Wells Fargo (4.1%), Scharf said it was because of “a very limited talent pool.” To me that sounds like the lynch mob blaming its victim for not bringing a chair to stand on. Here’s a notion, Mr. [ 352 more words ]

Wells Fargo CEO Charlie Scharf told the truth and unintentionally exposed the root of the problem yesterday. Defending the abysmally small number of African-American employees at Wells Fargo (4.1%)…

08/26/2020

Productive and Unproductive Argument Many voices from all along the political spectrum are sickened and discouraged by the loss of civility in public discourse today. We DO have legitimate problems…

08/26/2020

Productive and Unproductive Argument Many voices from all along the political spectrum are sickened and discouraged by the loss of civility in public discourse today. We DO have legitimate problems as a society, and there are varieties of approaches to find solutions. There are legitimate, honest, productive ways for persons of various perspectives to work together to seek best solutions that work for the most people. [ 1,121 more word ]

Productive and Unproductive Argument Many voices from all along the political spectrum are sickened and discouraged by the loss of civility in public discourse today. We DO have legitimate problems…