Sean Dietrich
Columnist
Sean is a writer for The Observer
Sean Dietrich's Latest
OPINION —The quality of a Christian’s life depends upon the wise use of two phrases: I will, and I will not. The phrase, “I will,” is found often in the Bible and also in some of our songs of faith.One example of God saying “I will” is found in the...
OPINION —On my kitchen counter is a pound cake, sitting on a pedestal, beneath a glass dome.Pound cake is the food of summer. It can make or break the entire season. A summer without pound cake is like church without singing. Or Monet without...
OPINION —“Rise and Shine.” That was my dad’s wake-up call when I was a young boy.It was five o’clock in the morning. Since Dad got up every morning at 4:30, he had already showered and dressed. I had two cows to milk before getting ready for...
OPINION —The year is 1923. It is the middle of June. You are a kid in a seersucker suit, on your way to a picnic. The weather is hot. Sweltering, actually. Texas can be like a steam bath sometimes.Today is a holiday. At least that’s what everyone...
OPINION —What is grace? The Bible teaches us that we are “saved by grace.” But what exactly is grace?The word grace is one of the most commonly used words in the church. It is found in the King James Version and the English Standard Version 131...
OPINION —I thought of you a few days ago. I was driving past a controlled burn. The fire department had lit up half of the lower Alabamian forest. It was terrifying but beautiful — the flames surrounding the trees. Fire trucks lined the road. It...
OPINION —Occasionally someone may be described as “living in the doldrums.” That means the person has the blues and is sad, depressed and lethargic. It’s not an uncommon experience. Most of us have days when despondency drains joy and energy from...
OPINION —The sun is lowering over the trees on the horizon, and the sky is lit orange here in Birmingham. The world is filled with daylight. The birds are chattering.Opening day of Major League baseball is here. Hallelujah. Tonight, the Atlanta...
OPINION —I’m supposed to be eating complimentary hotel-breakfast, but I’m in line behind a girl’s softball team.The dining room is nothing but long-hair, red ribbons, glitter makeup and striped softball socks.“They’re here for softball camp,” says...
OPINION —The world loves to honor those rare individuals who accomplish great things. Ted Turner developed a remarkable baseball business in Atlanta. Oral Roberts built a fine university in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Frank Lloyd Wright designed Fallingwater,...
OPINION —Forty years ago, Wally Armbruster published a little book titled “Let Me Out.”It never made the New York Times best-seller list. I read it, found its message humorous and provocative, and soon forgot about it. But recently, I came across...
OPINION —The 94-year-old woman gets a jumpstart on Decoration Day every year. The cemetery gets busy at her little church in Elmore County. She likes to be early to the party.She has brown-flecked hands. Tissue-paper skin. She arrives at the...
OPINION — Texas. The Hill Country. The local Walmart has a poster on the wall. It hangs near the entrance of the store. The poster is faded and aged, containing many 3-by-5 photos, housed in clear plastic sleeves, all in rows, on display for the...
OPINION — Methodist preacher James W. Moore wrote more than 40 books that truck drivers, waitresses and custodians enjoyed reading. Some of his book titles will explain what I mean:“If God is Your Co-Pilot, Then Swap Seats,” “If You Are Going the...
OPINION — What is God? This single question underpins all things on the Camino de Santiago, a trail inhabited by us full-time pilgrims whose lives are contained in backpacks.We pilgrims think about this question as we walk. We ponder this question...
OPINION — I love the story of a father who became thirsty while mowing his lawn on a hot summer day. His little boy was playing nearby so he asked the boy to bring him a glass of cold water. Though his son was busy making mud pies in the...
OPINION — Resentment is a poison that can slowly ruin your life. To harbor bitter feelings toward someone is like taking a poison and expecting the person you despise to die.That is one of the great lessons I learned from sitting at the feet of E....
OPINION — The middle of the night. The rural Alabama countryside was lit by the glow of the full moon.In most major U.S. cities, tens of thousands were holding protests and demonstrations. In Washington D.C., throngs lined the streets. In New York...
OPINION — You are 94 and your days are numbered. Does that not trouble you? No, that does not bother me. Yes, my days are numbered, but they are numbered by the Lord, and He has given me peace about his plan for me. You have been undergoing...
OPINION — I was in a hotel with a few hundred Mennonites. I walked into the hotel at noon. At first, I was confused inasmuch as the lobby was full of cape dresses, plain suits and broad-brimmed hats. Some of the older men had beards, some...