Tag Archives: humanity

Two Letters to My Manufacturer

Posted on August 21, 2025 by mitchteemley

Dear Mr. Elohim, Re. My Heart: May I begin by saying how much I appreciate the Wisdom and Maturity features you designed into this thing. Although I could wish they didn’t take an entire lifetime to become fully functional. Re. … Continue reading →

Posted in For Pastors and Teachers, Humor, Religion and Faith | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 51 Comments

In Praise of the Almost-Ordinary

Posted on August 14, 2025 by mitchteemley

Five years ago this month, in the midst of a pandemic summer, my wife and I passed a milestone. One that wouldn’t have even been an inchstone before 2020. Is there such a thing as an “inchstone”? Well, no, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Humor, Memoir, Movies | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 33 Comments

The World We Leave Behind

Posted on August 8, 2025 by mitchteemley

What would the world look like without us? The scientific word is entropy. Things would crack, crumble, and disintegrate. But they would also be invaded — by water, soil, light, life. They would be transformed from the unnatural into the … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 37 Comments

Ready or Not, You’re a Teacher!

Posted on August 4, 2025 by mitchteemley

Photo by Alexander Krivitskiy Thought for the Week Five years ago today, I met the future. His name was Jaylen. He and I had been matched as mentee and mentor by a local social service organization. How did I feel? … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Quips and Quotes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 23 Comments

What Is Our World Made Of?

Posted on July 23, 2025 by mitchteemley

It was the world they were born into The one they’d been given Although they’d long since forgotten The Visitor who came and filled it with glass Which was said to be immortal They had to admit it was beautiful … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Poetry | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 24 Comments

Our Calling: Be the Good News

Posted on July 20, 2025 by mitchteemley

One of the fundamental rules of storytelling is “Show, don’t tell.” The same rule works well for followers of Jesus. Unless we show people the good news, it won’t ring true. And the best way to show it is to … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, For Pastors and Teachers, Humor, Quips and Quotes, Religion and Faith | Tagged , , , , , , , | 32 Comments

Here’s Why We’re Fascinated by Robots

Posted on July 19, 2025 by mitchteemley

The idea of creating imitations of ourselves has always fascinated us humans. In Greek mythology, the sculptor Pygmalion brought his statue Galatea to life. Ancient Chinese scholar Daoxuan spoke of creating “metallic people” to weep when the Buddha died. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Entertainment and Popular Culture, Humor | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 40 Comments

We Will Walk Together Again

Posted on July 13, 2025 by mitchteemley

We will walk together again, my friend, if not in this kingdom, then in the next. And when we do, O, the stories we will tell! ∞

Posted in For Pastors and Teachers, Quips and Quotes, Religion and Faith | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 24 Comments

How Should We Experience Art? Together!

Posted on July 11, 2025 by mitchteemley

Together literally means “to gather.” That’s what makes public art public, people experiencing art together. All art invites us to come and see it. But public art comes to us. It invites us to walk around it, or under it, to climb … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Entertainment and Popular Culture, Quips and Quotes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 42 Comments

Our Call to Free the Oppressed

Posted on July 6, 2025 by mitchteemley

“Is not this the fast which I have chosen: To loosen the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, to free the oppressed and break every yoke?” ~Isaiah 58:6 Note: Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a founding member … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, For Pastors and Teachers, Quips and Quotes, Religion and Faith | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 31 Comments