Memorial Day began as a way to memorialize those who died in the Civil War. We’ll look at one of the earliest of these memorial events — May, 1865, in Charleston, N.C. — to help understand why Memorial Day remains such an important U.S. holiday.

Mothers (or really, all parents) are our first teachers. Even if you have no children, you’re still teaching those younger than you, whether you know it or not. So — what kind of teacher are you?

Why do we sing the songs we sing in the service? I’ll look at half a dozen songs from our two hymnals, and talk about why they’re worth singing. I’ll also talk about some of the songs that we never sing, and why not.

Back in 1969, Bill Steele wrote a song called “Garbage.” The song describes how pollution happens, not just in the physical world, but in our thoughts as well. Why does this old song still seem so relevant?