Holy Textures is a spot for my musings on the various Gospel texts that come our way through the Revised Common Lectionary. My goal is to provide timely, short, easy to use and thought-provoking background commentary for your sermon or bible study preparation. This year, Christmas Eve is on Monday, so it'll be a busy few days for Advent 4, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day. Be prepared! (Don't you love it when the Gospel proclamation has a direct application to those who proclaim the Gospel?) Blessings to all those who prepare and host gatherings where worship encounters anew the presence of the Holy One / Holy Three. Year C - Seasons of Advent & Christmas - 2018 Alternate Advent Click Christmas Story in Advent for 4 Advent lessons and Candle Lighting suggestions that tell the stories of Mary and Joseph, Mary and Elizabeth, the Shepherds, and the Magi. I have stopped using the Lectionary during Advent. Why? It seems to me that in this day and age you can never tell the story of the first Christmas early enough or often enough. It is far better to begin with the story we are trying to tell - Christmas - and then provide the historical context along the way. Starting with the historical / theological / history of salvation has the unintentional effect of making the story we are wanting to tell seem like nothing more than a foretold, logical conclusion... Continue reading

Holy Textures is a spot for my musings on the various Biblical texts that come our way through the Revised Common Lectionary. My goal is to provide timely, short, easy to use and faith-provoking background commentary for your sermon or bible study preparation. Year B - Season after Pentecost - 2018, Part 2 September to Reign of Christ or Christ the King One of the things I like about Year B with its focus on Mark is that we get a fuller reading of the Gospel text. A richer, more detailed hearing of Mark's narrative, of Mark's testimony, of Mark's proclamation of the Good News of Jesus Christ. The questions I ask myself in each of the commentaries below are always: "Why was this Good News at the time of Jesus? Why is this Good News for us, here and now?" I pray you will be able to use these offerings to respond to those questions in your own context. Note that in Pentecost, the Sundays are numbered as "after" Pentecost Sunday. So the first Sunday after Pentecost, Trinity Sunday, is Pentecost 1. And because the dates of Easter and Pentecost change each year, so do the number of Sundays that follow Pentecost. Eating with unclean hands Pentecost 15 September 2, 2018 Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 "The struggle that every community in every age - including our own - faces is how can the 'tradition of the elders,' which has... Continue reading

Luke 13: 1-9 Am I the only one here who talks to themselves? Isn’t it interesting that our human brain has evolved so that it is constantly talking to itself? Our brain is constantly telling itself a story about what it is experiencing. A few years ago I read an interesting article on resilience. Researchers are interested in how different people experience trauma differently from one another. Two people have the same traumatic experience. One then has life-long PTSD. The other changes, learns, grows, recovers. One is traumatized. The other is resilient. One way of describing this difference is that one person constantly RE-LIVES the experience; while the other person learns how to RE-CALL the experience without reliving it. Their response to a trigger is, “Oh, that reminds me …” They have quite literally RE-MINDED themselves by developing a whole new set of neural pathways in their brains that mute RE-LIVING and switch on RE-CALLING. When we talk to ourselves, we tell ourselves stories. What we call “TRAUMA” is when something bad happens that doesn’t fit into any of the stories we have been telling ourselves. Our daily news is full of these events. A child is shot and killed while enjoying a warm summer evening. A truck smashes into a hockey team’s bus. A heat wave kills 70 people. The Bible is also full of such events. And then, as now, people ask, “WHY?” Why did this happen? This... Continue reading

Holy Textures is a spot for my musings on the various Biblical texts that come our way through the Revised Common Lectionary. My goal is to provide timely, short, easy to use and faith-provoking background commentary for your sermon or bible study preparation. Year B - Season after Pentecost - 2018, Part 1 Trinity Sunday to Last Sunday of August One of the things I like about Year B with its focus on Mark is that we get a fuller reading of the Gospel text. A richer, more detailed hearing of Mark's narrative, of Mark's testimony, of Mark's proclamation of the Good News of Jesus Christ. The questions I ask myself in each of the commentaries below are always: "Why was this Good News at the time of Jesus? Why is this Good News for us, here and now?" I pray you will be able to use these offerings to respond to those questions in your own context. This summer is also your opportunity to preach Chapter 6 of John in August, so make sure to plan your vacation for July! Note that in Pentecost, the Sundays are numbered as "after" Pentecost Sunday. So the first Sunday after Pentecost, Trinity Sunday, is Pentecost 1. And because the dates of Easter and Pentecost change each year, so do the number of Sundays that follow Pentecost. In the listing below, a lesson is shown as Not Used This Year if its date... Continue reading

On May 25, 2018 new privacy regulations - referred to their initials, GDPR - will become effective for the European Union. These regulations meet or exceed all other nations' requirements, and are therefore used as the default for Holy Textures. Your email subscription to Holy Textures already complies with those regulations. So no further action is required if you wish to continue to receive the Seasonal email update 5 times per year. Holy Textures uses FeedBlitz for its email subscription service. You can read the FeedBlitz Privacy Policy statement here: https://www.feedblitz.com/privacy. If you want your name and email address removed from the Holy Textures email subscription list, just follow the "Unsubscribe" link at the bottom of this email. Thank you for your interest in Holy Textures. I trust it has been, and will continue to be, a source of inspiration for your worship and Bible study. David Ewart. Continue reading

Holy Textures is a spot for my musings on the various Biblical texts that come our way through the Revised Common Lectionary. My goal is to provide timely, short, easy to use and thought-provoking background commentary for your sermon or bible study preparation. Year B - Season of Easter - 2018 As usual with the Season of Easter, we get to spend time with the Gospel of John. I like to think of John as like a good day at the spa: Soaking in the swirling eddies and quiet back pools of his repetitive, non-sequitur, images and stories. John wants us to really GET the life that is Jesus. What could be more refreshing than that? He has been raised! Easter Vigil March 31, 2018 Mark 16:1-8 "It is women who witness the abject humiliation, degradation and torture of Jesus on the cross. It is women who hear him cry, "My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?" It is women who witness his death. It is women who follow and witness where his body is placed. And so, fittingly, it is women who are the first witnesses of the empty tomb, and the first to receive the good news: He is risen!" Sermon: "To be added." But Mary stayed weeping outside the empty tomb Easter Day April 1, 2018 John 20:1-18, Alternate Reading A "As the Word descended from the Father and became flesh at the start of... Continue reading

Feb 24, 2018, 3:37AM Holy Textures had its one millionth page view today, February 24, 2018 at 3:37AM PST (Pacific Standard Time). Thanks to all who helped make this happen. Continue reading

Holy Textures is a spot for my musings on the various Biblical texts that come our way through the Revised Common Lectionary. My goal is to provide timely, short, easy to use and thought-provoking background commentary for your sermon or bible study preparation. Year B - Season of Lent and Holy Week - 2018 The 40 days of Lent actually do NOT include the Sundays. So the Sundays are referred to as being "in" Lent. For example, "Lent 2," means, "The second Sunday in Lent." This means the Sundays are always a mini-celebration of the resurrection - even in Lent. So, while we are preparing ourselves for the walk to Jerusalem and all that will happen during Holy Week, there is no need to pretend that we don't know about, and are not already celebrating, Jesus' resurrection. I've had the time to give a close reading of the Holy Week texts and background information. I come away even more amazed at the courage of Jesus to voluntarily face the torture and humiliation of Roman execution on a cross, in order to remain faithful to God's calling - God's purpose - for him: To proclaim the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. As usual with the Season of Lent, we get to spend time with the Gospel of John. I like to think of John as like a good day at the spa: Soaking in the swirling eddies and quiet back... Continue reading

Hi Everyone, Not sure that this is best time of year to add another detail to your lives. But here goes. I have been making small tweaks and updates to Holy Textures, and will now prepare a new reminder for the start of each new season: Advent-Christmas, Epiphany, Lent-Holy-Week, Easter, and Pentecost. That'll be 5 emails a year with links for each of the Sundays in the season. I am also switching from FeedBurner to FeedBlitz to provide my email list service. You will soon receive an email from FeedBlitz informing you of this change. You don't need to take any further actions to continue to receive email from Holy Textures. If you want to unsubscribe - now or anytime later - just click on the link provided. I pray this email finds you well, and able to receive for yourselves all the blessings and gifts of faith, inspiration and heart-filling worship that you are preparing for others. Blessings, David Ewart Continue reading

I can't think of a good time to send out an email during Advent-Christmas with help for thinking about Epiphany. So I hope this one finds you in good spirits and enjoying the many gifts that come our way especially during these times. Holy Textures is a spot for my musings on the various Gospel texts that come our way through the Revised Common Lectionary. My goal is to provide timely, short, easy to use and thought-provoking background commentary for your sermon or bible study preparation. Year B - Season of Epiphany - 2018 This year, there are 6 Sundays following Epiphany, January 6 and before Ash Wednesday, February 14. This will give us time to read through Chapter 1 of Mark - with one detour into John (for reasons that escape my imagination). I like a long Season of Epiphany because it gives a chance to catch one's breath after Advent-Christmas before plunging into planning and preparations for Lent. I've also included links to the final few readings for Epiphany even though they aren't scheduled for this year. These are good texts that are too often not read at all because of their placement at the end of Epiphany. So every once and a while, I adjust the schedule to include them. Epiphany of the Lord January 6 or May be used on the First Sunday of January Matthew 2:1-12. "That this comet is understood to be a sign... Continue reading

Holy Textures is a spot for my musings on the various Biblical texts that come our way through the Revised Common Lectionary. My goal is to provide timely, short, easy to use and thought-provoking background commentary for your sermon or bible study preparation. Year B - Seasons of Advent & Christmas - 2017 Advent 1 December 3, 2017 Mark 13:24-37. "The lesson for Advent is still: Stay awake. Be alert. Live in expectation. Live now as you will when the Son of Man does return." Sermon: "A Cry of Absence." Advent 2 December 10, 2017 Mark 1:1-8. "Unlike us, John the Baptizer is a wild and woolly character. But like us, he lives to point people to one who is greater than himself. John is the first Christian in the sense that he is the first who gives witness to Jesus." Sermon: "A Cry of Peace." Advent 3 December 17, 2017 John 1:6-8, 19-28. "This Advent season is a time for us to wake up and see the light. It is time for us to do what is our work: to prepare the soil of our souls, so that the seed of God’s word can take root in us and put down deep and strong roots." Sermon: "A Cry of Joy." Advent 4 December 24, 2017 Luke 1:26-38. "As the story of Jesus' life is bookended with a special embedding of the spiritual and the material (spiritual conception at birth;... Continue reading

Holy Textures is a spot for my musings on the various Biblical texts that come our way through the Revised Common Lectionary. My goal is to provide timely, short, easy to use and thought-provoking background commentary for your sermon or bible study preparation. Year A - Season of Easter - 2017 This year, Easter is almost as late as it can possibly be. It has given me time to give a close reading of the Holy Week texts and background information. I come away even more amazed at the courage of Jesus to voluntarily face the torture and humiliation of Roman execution on a cross, in order to remain faith to God's calling - God's purpose - for him: To proclaim the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. Whatever else Easter may mean, it surely is a sign that God has vindicated the words and deeds of Jesus. We can trust him and what he stood for. And give our own lives for his vision. As usual with the Season of Easter, we get to spend time with the Gospel of John. I like to think of John as like a good day at the spa: Soaking in the swirling eddies and quiet back pools of his repetitive, non-sequitor, images and stories. John wants us to really GET the life that is Jesus. What could be more refreshing than that? Easter Vigil April 15/16, 2017 Matthew 28:1-10 "To deny the... Continue reading

Holy Textures is a spot for my musings on the various Biblical texts that come our way through the Revised Common Lectionary. My goal is to provide timely, short, easy to use and thought-provoking background commentary for your sermon or bible study preparation. Please click on the heading of any post or "Continue reading" to see the full post. Year A - Season of Lent and Holy Week - 2017 The 40 days of Lent actually do NOT include the Sundays. So the Sundays are referred to as being "in" Lent. For example, "Lent 2," means, "The second Sunday in Lent." This means the Sundays are always a mini-celebration of the resurrection - even in Lent. So, while we are preparing ourselves for the walk to Jerusalem and all that will happen during Holy Week, there is no need to pretend that we don't know about, and are not already celebrating, Jesus' resurrection. A close reading of the Holy Week texts and background information leaves me even more amazed at the courage of Jesus to voluntarily face the torture and humiliation of Roman execution on a cross, in order to remain faithful to God's calling - God's purpose - "this cup" - for him: To proclaim the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. As usual with the Season of Lent, we get to spend time with the Gospel of John. I like to think of John as like a good... Continue reading

Holy Textures is my attempt to provide a spot for my musings on the various Biblical texts that come our way through the Revised Common Lectionary. My goal is to provide timely, short, easy to use and thought-provoking background commentary for your sermon or bible study preparation. Please click on the heading of any post or "Continue reading" to see the full post. Year C - Season after Pentecost - 2016 Note that in Pentecost, the Sundays are numbered as "after" Pentecost Sunday. So the first Sunday after Pentecost, Trinity Sunday, is Pentecost 1. Pentecost Sunday May 15, 2016 Acts 2:1-21 "We might all hear the same words - each in our own language - but we will not all hear and understand exactly the same meaning. The problem with life, and faith, and following Jesus is always: What does this mean?" Sermon: "All We Need Is Love." John 14:8-17, (25-27) "Those who are bonded into Jesus will know a Truthful Spirit who will (Verse 26): 'Teach you everything; and remind you of all that I have said to you.' We, who like Philip, have been with Jesus all this time, and still do not know him, should receive this promise with great joy and thanksgiving at Jesus' generosity. We have not been left alone." Sermon: "To be added." Trinity Sunday May 22, 2016 John 16:12-15 "We need to hear this brief section from Chapter 16, not as Jesus giving... Continue reading

Year C - Season of Lent and Holy Week - 2016 Holy Textures is a spot for my musings on the various Biblical texts that come our way through the Revised Common Lectionary. My goal is to provide timely, short, easy to use and thought-provoking background commentary for your sermon or bible study preparation. The 40 days of Lent actually do NOT include the Sundays. So the Sundays are referred to as being "in" Lent. For example, "Lent 2," means, "The second Sunday in Lent." This means the Sundays are always a mini-celebration of the resurrection - even in Lent. So, while we are preparing ourselves for the walk to Jerusalem and all that will happen during Holy Week, there is no need to pretend that we don't know about, and are not already celebrating, Jesus' resurrection. I've had the time to give a close reading of the Holy Week texts and background information. I come away even more amazed at the courage of Jesus to voluntarily face the torture and humiliation of Roman execution on a cross, in order to remain faithful to God's calling - God's purpose - for him: To proclaim the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand knowing that doing so was treason in the eyes of the Roman Empire. As usual with the Season of Lent, we get to spend time with the Gospel of John. I like to think of John as like a... Continue reading

Year C - Season of Easter - 2016 Holy Textures is a spot for my musings on the various Biblical texts that come our way through the Revised Common Lectionary. My goal is to provide timely, short, easy to use and thought-provoking background commentary for your sermon or bible study preparation. As usual with the Season of Easter, we get to spend time with the Gospel of John. I like to think of John as like a good day at the spa: Soaking in the swirling eddies and quiet back pools of his repetitive, non-sequitor, images and stories. John wants us to really GET the life that is Jesus. What could be more refreshing than that? Easter Vigil March 26, 2016 Luke 24:1-12 "This lesson contains no resurrection. But this lesson also contains trusting the amazing void." Sermon: "To be added." Easter Day March 27, 2016 John 20:1-18, Alternate Reading A "As the Word descended from the Father and became flesh at the start of John's Gospel, Mary is experiencing the reverse process - of the flesh becoming Word." Sermon: "The Rising." Luke 24:1-12, Alternate Reading B "This lesson contains no resurrection. But this lesson also contains trusting the amazing void." Sermon: "To be added." Easter Evening March 27, 2016 Luke 24:13-49 "The details reported in Luke make it very clear that it was the same Jesus who was crucified who is now resurrected. And they are not seeing a... Continue reading

Year C - Season of Epiphany - 2016 Holy Textures is a spot for my musings on the various Gospel texts that come our way through the Revised Common Lectionary. My goal is to provide timely, short, easy to use and thought-provoking background commentary for your sermon or bible study preparation. This year Epiphany falls on a Wednesday, January 6. There are 5 Sundays following Epiphany before Ash Wednesday, February 10. This will give us time to sample Luke 3, 4, and 5 - with one detour into John (for reasons that escape my imagination). Unfortunately it also means we miss Luke's version of the Sermon the Mount - texts that every Christian needs to hear every year in my not-so-humble opinion. So if I can be presumptious, I recommend playing Epiphany in "Shuffle" mode, and at least every other year, work back from Transfiguration Sunday and include Epiphany 6, 7, and 8 regardless of the dates. Easter is on the early side this year - March 27, which means Epiphany is shortened. I like a long Season of Epiphany because it gives a chance to catch one's breath after Advent-Christmas before plunging into getting ready for Lent. But not so this year. So let's catch our breath quickly! Epiphany of the Lord January 6 or May be used on the First Sunday of January Matthew 2:1-12. "That this comet is understood to be a sign of the birth of... Continue reading

Year C, Advent and Christmas Season Gospel readings. Continue reading

Holy Textures is a spot for my musings on the various Biblical texts that come our way through the Revised Common Lectionary. My goal is to provide timely, short, easy to use and faith-provoking background commentary for your sermon or bible study preparation. Please click on the heading of any post or "Continue reading" to see the full post. Year B - Season after Pentecost - 2015 Note that in Pentecost, the Sundays are numbered as "after" Pentecost Sunday. So the first Sunday after Pentecost, Trinity Sunday, is Pentecost 1. Pentecost Sunday May 24, 2015 Acts 2:1-21 "We might all hear the same words - each in our own language - but we will not all hear and understand exactly the same meaning. The problem with life, and faith, and following Jesus is always: What does this mean?" Sermon: "All We Need Is Love." John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15 "Whatever else we may want to say on this day of Pentecost about the Spirit, it is important to notice that Jesus always refers to the Spirit as the Spirit of truth. And in John truth is always the way, the life, the light, the joy, the friendship." Sermon: "." Trinity Sunday May 31, 2015 John 3:1-17 "Being born anew / from above is a huge transformation, since it means quite literally starting over with a new "family of origin.'"... (It) relocates our identity and resets possibilities for our character and life choices... Continue reading

Holy Textures is a spot for my musings on the various Biblical texts that come our way through the Revised Common Lectionary. My goal is to provide timely, short, easy to use and thought-provoking background commentary for your sermon or bible study preparation. Please click on the heading of any post or "Continue reading" to see the full post. Year B - Season of Easter - 2015 As usual with the Season of Easter, we get to spend time with the Gospel of John. I like to think of John as like a good day at the spa: Soaking in the swirling eddies and quiet back pools of his repetitive, non-sequitur, images and stories. John wants us to really GET the life that is Jesus. What could be more refreshing than that? Easter Vigil April 4, 2015 Mark 16:1-8 "It is women who witness the abject humiliation, degradation and torture of Jesus on the cross. It is women who hear him cry, "My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?" It is women who witness his death. It is women who follow and witness where his body is placed. And so, fittingly, it is women who are the first witnesses of the empty tomb, and the first to receive the good news: He is risen!" Sermon: "To be added." Easter Day April 5, 2015 John 20:1-18, Alternate Reading A "As the Word descended from the Father and became flesh... Continue reading

Holy Textures is a spot for my musings on the various Biblical texts that come our way through the Revised Common Lectionary. My goal is to provide timely, short, easy to use and thought-provoking background commentary for your sermon or bible study preparation. Please click on the heading of any post or "Continue reading" to see the full post. Year B - Season of Lent and Holy Week - 2015 The 40 days of Lent actually do NOT include the Sundays. So the Sundays are referred to as being "in" Lent. For example, "Lent 2," means, "The second Sunday in Lent." This means the Sundays are always a mini-celebration of the resurrection - even in Lent. So, while we are preparing ourselves for the walk to Jerusalem and all that will happen during Holy Week, there is no need to pretend that we don't know about, and are not already celebrating, Jesus' resurrection. I've had the time to give a close reading of the Holy Week texts and background information. I come away even more amazed at the courage of Jesus to voluntarily face the torture and humiliation of Roman execution on a cross, in order to remain faithful to God's calling - God's purpose - for him: To proclaim the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. As usual with the Season of Lent, we get to spend time with the Gospel of John. I like to think of John... Continue reading

The following charts compare selected data for the United Church of Canada compared with similar data for Canada’s population as a whole. The comparison shows how Canadians as a whole are participating in the United Church of Canada, and suggests possible changes in Canadian culture as a whole. Rates of participation by Canadians in the United Church of Canada as shown by Membership, Baptisms, Weddings, and Funerals have all shown steady decline since at least the mid-1960’s with the exception of a temporary increase from 1980-1990 as the Baby Boom Generation returned with their children. These trends have been noted for all churches (including evangelical ones) throughout North America. Secular volunteer agencies also report similar declines. The charts indicate that the religious rituals of weddings, baptisms, and funerals are in decline as an increasingly secular and “spiritual, but not religious” culture no longer looks to organized religion for these life-changing transitions. Clearly the United Church is not “of” Canada. Perhaps it is time for a change of name. As I have noted elsewhere, we may be united but we are definitely not uniform (United But Not Uniform). In fact, the differences between the 10% of the largest urban churches, the 50% of rural multi-point Pastoral Charges, and the 40% of remaining single-point Pastoral Charges is so great that I wonder if we shouldn’t call ourselves the Church of the Holy Trinity. Click here for an easy to print and email... Continue reading

A “trend” is an indication of the general direction of change. I use the Microsoft Excel TREND function. I do so because it does in fact give a good indication of the general direction of change, and because as a straight line it is easy to understand. Whatever the future holds, it will not unfold in a straight line, but a straight line is useful for clarifying the general direction we are headed. And it is important to understand what a trend is NOT. 1. A trend is NOT a single example. A trend looks at a history of events – the more the better – and summarizes the overall change. There will always be examples that contradict the overall trend. Because that is precisely what a summary is; it is roughly the average with examples that are better than the trend, and examples that are worse than the trend. And so, a trend is not proven false by examples that are “bucking the trend.” But because a trend is not a single example, it can also help answer one big question: Is it just us? Are we the only ones experiencing this problem? Ever since the 1990’s, every congregation I have been part of has worried about the decline of Sunday School enrollment. And we tried every new program that promised to fix this problem. They were all good programs and helped us make many helpful and necessary changes.... Continue reading

OK, now that the shocking headline has captured your attention, let me explain why it is both true and not all the truth. Those of us who can remember the United Church before 1990, are very aware that the church which expanded its number of congregations as well as its Conference and General Council staff, programs and policies during the 50’s and into the 80’s is already mostly gone. The structures of the United Church have been significantly cut back, and yet are still too costly of volunteer time, energy, and money. The way we used to “do” church is on its death bed. That is the truth of the headline. But the rest of the truth about the United Church is that our particular hearing of the Gospel of Jesus Christ – and our calling to form communities of faith centred on that calling – are probably more needed now than ever. And so perhaps a more accurate headline might be: Our Governance is Dead. Long Live the Gospel! Or: The Buildings Have Burned to the Ground. The Community Has Taken Off! The charts that follow (click here for PDF file with charts) show the steady decades-long decline of the United Church. And that is the truth of the headline. But the rest of the truth is that actually the charts show how Canada has changed. Canadians just don’t go to church like they used to. And not just... Continue reading

In Response to Her Open Letter to The Rev. Gary Paterson, Moderator of the United Church of Canada. If Ms. Vosper’s ideas weren’t so dangerous, it would be tempting to read her letter with quiet amazement at her naiveté and click on the next Internet prophet with celebrity to be sought and a book to be sold. Ah, the sweet bliss of continuing to believe in an 18th Century ideology that the path to world peace lies in a single solution: get rid of religion. Evidence that this ideology is false and dangerous can be seen in the bloody aftermath of its first proclamation in France’s Revolution: The Reign of Terror. Unfortunately this was only the beginning of non-religious ideological war, genocide and mass starvations. Hitler, Mussolini, Lenin, Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot, Amin. Mugabe, and too many others have caused far more death and destruction than the current terror that we mis-attribute solely to religion. Ms. Vosper also says that we should all stop believing in ideas about God that almost no one in the United Church actually believes anyway. So I’m puzzled as to how we can respond to her demand. Ms. Vosper seems to make the mistake of assuming that her ideas about God are identical with the actual reality of God. Therefore, if her ideas about God are juvenile and unbelievable, then God must be an infantile fantasy that we must learn to outgrow. But she overlooks... Continue reading