Eric Needle

I was off and at home the other day when the power suddenly went out. It is a very uncomfortable feeling, I think, as the house shuts down and everything goes off. To go from some TV “noise”, lights on and the air conditioning to nothing is very unusual. Initially a helpless kind of feeling, and a quick review of my account to be sure I had not forgotten to pay! (That wasn’t the issue!)....

Brothers and Sisters in Christ: I drive for a living, sort of. I average 2 hours a day, I’m not complaining, it’s part of my life based on where I live and where I work! In fact, I have driven “for work” all my professional life. I went to college at Indiana University (one hour from Indianapolis where I lived) and remember the drives back and forth to Bloomington with my college roommate buddy. My...

I came home after church yesterday and just wanted to relax a bit before taking on the afternoon chores, yard work, etc. I turned on the national news and learned of the incredible devastation in Orlando at the Pulse nightclub. Lest we doubt that evil is alive and well, this is proof evil is. This is a very hard concept for people to understand, including myself. Evil is a choice. We have been granted free...

I just want to drop off my recycled items by myself, just once! This may sound weird, but the recycling facility in my town is the busiest place ever. I have dropped by at all hours of the day, evening, weekends and evenholidays, and there is always, always someone else there! Now I realize it’s  not my private domain but the area where the bins are located is relatively small. Once back into your car...

Road rage is a growing epidemic. The CBS show “Sunday morning” had a special on it this past Sunday and there is another road rage incident caught on camera in today’s national news! I once had a “road rage” incident several years ago. The driver in front of me thought that I had obviously followed too closely. When we arrived at the stoplight he hopped out and came back to speak in some “unkind” language!...

  Eleanor was the first shut-in I ever called on some 20 years ago as I began my ministry. She had recently become widowed and was facing a number of health issues as well. Like many in her situation in our culture today the children and grandchildren had moved away, were busy with their own lives, and barely called or wrote. Now that I have worked in the hospital setting five years I see it...

Have you ever heard the term “in a New York minute?” I heard it from a colleague over lunch this weekend as he referenced how quickly he would do something. I’ve heard the term before but have never given it much thought. I mean I generally understand things go “faster” in New York and I know the city itself never sleeps, etc. So a visit to Wikipedia sheds light on this term “a New York...

I want to go back and visit Epworth Forest camp in North Webster, Indiana. It’s the camp where I made my weekend, and where I have served a number of teams. The memories are countless, the images still very moving, the experience the most incredible in my life. I hope you can also remember your original weekend, and the sight, sounds, and smells of the Spirit of our Lord. A favorite memory is the chapel...

Mother’s Day is this Sunday, May 8th! We’ve been honoring Mom’s officially as the second Sunday in May since 1914. I think May is a wonderful time of year as the weather turns, and the flowers bloom we honor our mothers. My own mom passed in 2014 and for the last two years this holiday has made me realize what a gift I had in a loving, caring mother. I know that’s not the case...

Spring cleaning outside was how I spent this past gorgeous Sunday afternoon! I hope you and yours were able to get out and enjoy the weekend. I love this time of year as the weather turns, the trees and flowers are getting in bloom, the birds sing and all seems right with the world. It was time to fire up the lawn mower, get out the garden hose, reset up the bird feeders and bird...

Stephen Ministry has been around in congregations, hospitals and other places for over 40 years. The message is simply about equipping God’s people to care for another person. The leadership training I attended last week promoted the idea that people will always need someone to care for them whether they realize it or not. Visit www.stephensministry.org to learn more. I will be having a class in Stephen Ministry at the hospital coming up in May...

This year, the 4th Sunday of Easter is April 17th.  But “Year C”, what’s that all about?  Have you ever talked about Sunday’s sermon with a friend from another denomination, or even Catholic, and he or she heard the same Scripture and a similar sermon?  Here’s why. The church year is broken up into Seasons: Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter and the Season after Pentecost.  The Revised Common Lectionary (RCL) is a three-year cycle of...