Author Archives: Philip E Jenks

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About Philip E Jenks

Philip, a synodical deacon in the ELCA Metropolitan New York synod, is a retired communicator for American Baptist Churches USA, the U.S. Conference for the World Council of Churches, the U.S. National Council of Churches, and two Philadelphia area daily newspapers. He and his spouse, the Rev. Dr. Martha M. Cruz, are the parents of six adults and are members of St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Rye Brook, N.Y. They live in Port Chester, N.Y.

Does Media Coverage Thicken the Fog of War?

Posted on September 17, 2014 by Philip E Jenks

[Reprinted from Senior Correspondent.] By Philip E. Jenks “War,” said Martha Gellhorn, “happens to people, one by one. That is really all I have to say.” In two sentences, Gellhorn captured the essence of war reporting. No matter how graphic … Continue reading →

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September 11

Posted on September 11, 2014 by Philip E Jenks

Millions have their memories. As President Obama escalates the newest war in the Persian Gulf, the question is whether remembering September 11, 2001 eases the pain and makes sense out of all that has happened since. Martha and I had just settled … Continue reading →

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Missing Nixon Yet?

Posted on August 8, 2014 by Philip E Jenks

August 9, 2014 – I remember exactly what I was doing and where I was forty years ago today when President Nixon resigned. I was vacationing at my parents’ home on Route 20 West in Morrisville, N.Y., watching his speech the … Continue reading →

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The Bombs of August: “An Extremely Dangerous Precedent”

Posted on August 6, 2014 by Philip E Jenks

[Adapted from an article I wrote a few years ago for the National Council of Churches.] The way Harry Truman saw it in August 1945, there was a sickening possibility that the Second World War would end in a historic … Continue reading →

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Rockefeller Republicans

Posted on August 4, 2014 by Philip E Jenks

If you remember moderate Republicans, you also remember green stamps and dial telephones. In the sixties, some Republicans even leaned into the liberal column. They included Mark Hatfield of Oregon, Jacob Javits of New York, and – for a period … Continue reading →

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The Fog of Bygone Wars

Posted on June 27, 2014 by Philip E Jenks

June 28, 2014 – One hundred years ago today, the Archduke Ferdinand was assassinated in Sarajevo by a Bosnia Serb nationalist. In addition to causing consternation at the archduke convention (as reported by The Onion), the act is considered the … Continue reading →

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And they say we’ll have some fun if it stops raining

Posted on June 10, 2014 by Philip E Jenks

He only gave us 48 years (1924-1973), and his musical compositions peaked and all but disappeared after 1963. But as I was preparing supper tonight, I found myself humming again one of Allan Sherman’s memorable parodies: O, the moon is … Continue reading →

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Miss Butts, Meet Mr. Sitts

Posted on May 15, 2014 by Philip E Jenks

The Butts are long-time neighbors of my grandparents, Goldie and Addison Jenks, in the cemetery in Oneonta. I like to imagine the permanent residents sitting in rows of folding chairs, as if they were in a Thornton Wilder play. There’s … Continue reading →

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Band of Typists

Posted on April 13, 2014 by Philip E Jenks

See http://bit.ly/ChAssts    

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Remembering Martin

Posted on April 5, 2014 by Philip E Jenks

April 4, 2014 — Remembering the dreamer and his Daddy. From my January sermon celebrating MLK’s birthday. Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes, To the church of God … Continue reading →

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