(a Steve Orr Bible reflection) On our minds in winter: When is summer? In the northern hemisphere, many consider Memorial Day weekend the unofficial start. Meteorologists start summer on June 1. And then of course, there is the traditional start: Summer Solstice, which lands on June 21 this year. And, because of their long winters, New Englanders hold out for July 4. Whenever it starts for you, summer is a lovely time. When winter finally ends, we feel an uplift in spirit.

There is a myth that St. Peter is heaven’s gatekeeper. It originated from a literal interpretation of Matthew 16:19, where Jesus granted Peter "the keys of the kingdom of heaven." Catholic tradition interprets this as Peter’s complete authority over the Church and perhaps depicting him as giving a thumbs up or thumbs down at the “pearly gates.” An alternative phrase to meeting St. Peter is to “meet our maker,” and it can point to a future judgment by God. We can also talk a

(a Steve Orr Bible reflection) The 1968 film Wild in the Streets was released to wild acclaim—among teenagers. Adults? Not so much. The plot: The voting age is lowered to 14, drug use is legalized, and 20-year-old rock star Max Frost is elected President. What could go wrong? Teen reaction: great soundtrack! Adult reaction: anarchy! For most of us, orderly is the way. We like order. We especially like law and order. We feel safer knowing the law is there to protect us

Assassinations are a certain death that occur when prominent individuals, often politicians, are deliberately killed It is formally described as an “act of assassination.” The grim act is most often carried out to eliminate someone for political purposes and revenge. Common synonyms for the act are to dispatch, execute, kill, murder, and slay someone. None of them are nice things to happen. The numbers of assassinations have risen over the last decade, and 772 cases were re

(a Steve Orr Bible reflection) If you’ve never heard of Sam Houston, I’m not surprised. Before I moved to Texas, I had never heard of him, either. In fact, if I hadn’t moved to Texas, it’s likely I never would have. He was a leader in the Texas Revolution, served as the first and third President of the Republic of Texas, shepherded the treaty that later joined Texas to the United States, was a U.S. Senator from the State of Texas, and then served Texas as Governor. Sam was