by Steven Norris    It was a Friday around lunch. I had gotten the famous hamburger special at Milltowne Gourmet (only available on Fridays) but had decided to eat my lunch outside. The day was idyllic — warm sun on my skin, gentle breeze blowing, the coolness of fall...

By Steven Norris    As a child of blended families, there were six of us boys scattered across households. My mother had two biological children, of which I am the oldest, though I am number four of the larger pack. In such an environment, there are certain skills one...

By Steven Norris    For people of faith, the issues of righteousness and justice feature prominently in discussions about how we should live. It is no surprise that people of faith would be committed to doing what is right in the eyes of God and what is just towards...

By Steven Norris      In the neighborhood where I grew up, street hockey was a favorite pastime. Since there was very little traffic in front of our house, us boys would don our rollerblades, grab our hockey sticks, and fire the puck from curb to curb. On the rare...

By Steven Norris      As I entered the church, the scene was almost comical. My shoulders bore the load of a backpack containing my laptop, iPad, notebooks, and other work paraphernalia. In my left hand was a canvas tote full of camera accessories. A tripod was...

By Steven Norris      As I passed by the marquee in front of the church, I knew that at least one person in that congregation had to have a wicked sense of humor. The sign read, “Jesus is coming. Look busy.” For 2,000 years, followers of Jesus have been looking for...

By Steven Norris      The day I received the keys to my first car changed my life. Pulling that 1979 Pontiac Phoenix out of the driveway and onto the road meant a new freedom and a new pace of life. No longer did I need to be picked up for school or to catch a ride to...

By Steven Norris      Have you ever tried to fill a cup of water from a firehose? That is what it feels like every time that I tune in to my news source of choice. The headlines gush forth, pounding against my head, heart, and soul with such force that I lose the...

By Steven Norris      Two Sundays ago, I stood before my congregation and preached a very different sermon from what I had prepared. Violence had dominated the news headlines throughout the week and I felt the Spirit leading me to a different word for that day.    ...

     I grew up on science fiction. From Star Trek to Star Wars to Battlestar Galactica, we were glued to the television. One of the sillier shows I enjoyed, though, was Dr. Who. If you’ve seen that British series, you may remember the TARDIS, the machine the Doctor...