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Pastor Steve Durkac

Foley, Alabama

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Category Archives: Mere Observations

Mere Observations posts are miscellaneous in topic but personal in perspective, commentary, and thoughts from my clergy world and view of life.

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Happy Mother’s Day

Pastor Steve Durkac Posted on May 8, 2022 by Steve DurkacMay 8, 2022avatar

On this day, Mother’s Day, I always think of a verse in the epistle of Paul to Timothy. The chapter includes some instructions to the young pastor about caring for widows and it is in the middle of this that Paul writes in regard to women as “known for her good deeds, such as bringing up children” (1 Timothy 5:10, NIV). That seemingly casual reference is a huge insight into how God perceives motherhood. What … Continue reading →

Posted in Mere Observations | Tagged 1 Timothy 5:10, mother's day

Happy New Year!

Pastor Steve Durkac Posted on December 30, 2021 by Steve DurkacDecember 30, 2021avatar

In my youth I often had older people tell me that time flies as you age. In recent years I have come to believe that, because I feel like I have been caught off guard on the ending of 2021. This year is over. A new one starts in just two days. As I was thinking about this Romans 13:11 came to mind, which states, “And that, knowing the time, that now it is high … Continue reading →

Posted in Mere Observations | Tagged Romans 13:11

A Brief Reflection on Christmas

Pastor Steve Durkac Posted on December 19, 2021 by Steve DurkacDecember 19, 2021avatar

The Christmas season is an opportunity for us to reflect on the first advent of our Savior, even though we may not buy into it as a religious celebration. Since leaving Catholicism I have lost a sense of obligation to celebrate Christmas with religious significance or requirement. There is no biblical command to celebrate the Savior’s birth, no certainty in the timing of the event, and Christmas has certainly become a cultural celebration. However, I … Continue reading →

Posted in Mere Observations | Tagged Christmas, Hebrews 9:28, Luke 2:8-11

59 and Thinking

Pastor Steve Durkac Posted on October 2, 2021 by Steve DurkacOctober 2, 2021avatar

Yesterday I turned 59 years old and I wasn’t feeling good about it. I took my 50th birthday hard, because I realized that 50 years of my life just filtered through my hands like grains of sand at the beach. Turning 59 was not as bad for me as when I turned 50, but I am wondering about my next birthday. I’m already thinking about my next birthday when I turn 60. I’m expecting that … Continue reading →

Posted in Mere Observations | Tagged aging, birthday, kiss, Return of Jesus, Rolling Stones, second coming

A Pastor’s Anti-Vaccine Rant

Pastor Steve Durkac Posted on August 26, 2021 by Steve DurkacAugust 26, 2021avatar

Recently I was viewing video recordings from a pastor’s conference that took place in Hawaii. The conference happened just a few days earlier and the church that hosted the conference posted all the videos on their website. After watching a few of the videos of the speakers I turned to a video titled “Q&A Panel.” The video of the Q&A Panel seemed to have been recorded in a gym with about seven pastors elevated on … Continue reading →

Posted in Mere Observations | Tagged COVID-19, Luke 21:26, vaccine

Edith Waugh, Death, and Maranatha

Pastor Steve Durkac Posted on January 9, 2021 by Steve DurkacJanuary 9, 2021avatar

I’m contemplating death today, because I just learned of the passing of Edith Waugh, a former church member from my Rock Hill, South Carolina days and wife of Les Waugh, whom I wrote about in a previous blog post. Edith was also the sitter for my children and allowed me the opportunity to be out and involved with church ministry, most times that was with Les as we both stuffed ourselves in my Suzuki Samurai. … Continue reading →

Posted in Mere Observations | Tagged death, Leslie B. Waugh, Maranatha

I Feel Like An Orphan

Pastor Steve Durkac Posted on December 8, 2020 by Steve DurkacDecember 8, 2020avatar

With the October 21, 2020 passing of my mother, I am beginning to feel what I’ve heard expressed so many times by adult children following the death of their last living parent. I am feeling the sentiment expressed by surviving children who say, “I feel like an orphan.” For me, it’s been over six-weeks of “I feel like an orphan” but it is a very familiar feeling because as an adoptee I have known that … Continue reading →

Posted in Mere Observations | Tagged Adoption, adult adoptee, I feel like an orphan, John 14:18, orphan

The Mom I Knew

Pastor Steve Durkac Posted on November 6, 2020 by Steve DurkacNovember 6, 2020avatar

My mother passed away on October 21, 2020 after a long battle with Alzheimer/Dementia. I wrote about my mother and the smile I miss at my previous blog post titled Irene H. Durkac. Her Catholic funeral mass was conducted on Tuesday, October 27, 2020 in Rossford, Ohio and the funeral home’s obituary was published a few days prior to that service. I’m writing this post because the mother I knew and wanted to be known … Continue reading →

Posted in Mere Observations | Tagged Adoption, Alzheimer, Catholic Charities Adoption Agency, Dementia, Fargo, Irene H Durkac, John 14:27, North Dakota, Ohio, Rossford

Irene H. Durkac

Pastor Steve Durkac Posted on October 21, 2020 by Steve DurkacJanuary 14, 2022avatar

My younger sister and I sat in the living room of our childhood home where my mother laid in her hospice bed. As we talked quietly, trying not to disturb our mother’s rest, I could see my mom open her eyes and fix her gaze toward me with a slight smile. I smiled back and continued the conversation with my sister, not really sure if my mother knew it was me or if her Alzheimer/Dementia … Continue reading →

Posted in Mere Observations | Tagged Adoption, All Saints Catholic Church, Alzheimer, Dementia, Durkac, hospice, Irene H Durkac, Louis S Durkac, motherhood, Ohio, Rossford, Soos, Sujkowski-Walker Funeral Home

Leslie B. Waugh, Sr.

Pastor Steve Durkac Posted on July 25, 2020 by Steve DurkacJuly 25, 2020avatar

Many years ago I hosted a syndicated radio broadcast called Ask the Bible which was a listener call-in question and answer radio show in the South Carolina and North Carolina market. It’s hard for me to think of those days or use the phrase “Ask the Bible” without thinking about Les Waugh. Les was a parishioner and elder at a church I once served as pastor in Rock Hill, South Carolina back in 1990 – 1993. While … Continue reading →

Posted in Mere Observations | Tagged Ask the Bible, askthebible.org, Bible study guides, Leslie B. Waugh

Payton is Graduating!

Pastor Steve Durkac Posted on May 22, 2020 by Steve DurkacMay 22, 2020avatar

I was reminded this morning by a friend still living in my home town of Rossford, Ohio that it was 40 years ago today that we graduated from High School in the class of 1980. After the shock wore off that it was 40 years already, it occurred to me that Payton is graduating from High School on this very date as well. 40 years ago I would never have thought that I would have … Continue reading →

Posted in Mere Observations | Tagged 2020, CrossHope Chapel, Faith Academy, graduating, Payton

What to Say to a Suicide Survivor

Pastor Steve Durkac Posted on February 13, 2020 by Steve DurkacJune 25, 2022avatar

Here in America, we have close to 50,000 people a year who die by suicide. The majority of whom were struggling with a mental illness, either a diagnosed condition or acknowledged depression. Think of this, a person has to be in a very low state of mind to actually take their own life. So whether a person is on mental health medication or not, we would be hard pressed to argue that one was in … Continue reading →

Posted in Mere Observations | Tagged chaplain, death, grief, pastoral care, suicide, workforce

What About Us Old Guys?

Pastor Steve Durkac Posted on November 9, 2019 by Steve DurkacNovember 9, 2019avatar

I don’t want to call this a rant, though in some ways that is how it is swelling up within me. In recent months and years I have found it disheartening to see so many young pastors advertising their know-how as a commodity to sell to other pastors in order to be like them in their wisdom, experience, and success. I don’t think I’ve arrived at the pinnacle of potential or obtained all the knowledge … Continue reading →

Posted in Mere Observations | Tagged conference speakers, ministers, old, old age, pastors

Louis S. Durkac

Pastor Steve Durkac Posted on September 4, 2019 by Steve DurkacSeptember 4, 2019avatar

My Dad, Louis S. Durkac, died this morning, September 4, 2019. He was 91 years old and the adopted father of 5 adopted children, and he himself was adopted. He died just 2 days shy of his 67th wedding anniversary with my Mom, Irene, whom he leaves behind in a fight against dementia. I am the middle child of the 5 Durkac’s and often accused of being the odd guy out or the black sheep … Continue reading →

Posted in Mere Observations | Tagged adoptee, Adoption, All Saints Catholic Church, Dad, Ft. Meigs Cemetery, James 4:14, John 1:12, Louis S Durkac, Obituary, Ohio, Rossford, Sujkowski-Walker Funeral Home, Tribute

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