Everyday Moments of Resurrection
We tend to consider the crucifixion, the resurrection, and Pentecost in two ways primarily. We see them as history, stories about things that happened a long time ago. Or we consider them through...
View ArticleDivine Magic Wands
An argument against God goes something like this: How can anyone believe in a creator who is indifferent to war? How can anyone accept a divine parent who ignores their children’s hunger and poverty?...
View ArticleInterdependence Day
As we celebrate our nation’s independence this week, it’s good that we also celebrate our interdependence. Everything that we do, everything that we have, all that we are bears the fingerprints of...
View ArticleGod Loves a Holy Mess
Biblical writers suggest that God loves a holy mess. They compare God’s creative spirit to a strong wind, and we all know what happens when a powerful wind blows through our windows or through our...
View ArticleInspiration Is Nice, But We Need Action
We’ve spent the last few days recalling the anniversary of the March on Washington and listening again to the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., talk so powerfully about his dream of a land that is full of...
View ArticleLetting Go ...
I realized that other parents are hoping that I will love and care for their children just as they do. There are so many moments every day when someone else’s child is in my hands. Do I recognize this?...
View ArticleRewriting the Lord's Prayer: What If How We Prayed Matched How We Live?
After reciting what we call the Lord’s prayer one Sunday, I got to thinking about how many times I’d said those words. Thousands? But how many times have I actually thought about what the words mean?If...
View ArticleDiversity Within the Divine
What would the world be like if we were all more alike? This isn’t just a philosophical question. In many ways, we live as though we wished others were more like us. We spend time with those who are...
View ArticleThanksgiving? Bah, humbug
Scrooge is convinced that he has earned all that he has. His pile of money? It’s all that matters to him, and he believes that he built it all by himself. There’s no reason to show gratitude to anyone...
View ArticleWhat Are We Waiting For?
Much of our imagery of Advent is tied into the idea of waiting. Waiting for Emmanuel to come. Waiting for God to intervene. We’re in the middle of the night waiting for dawn to arrive. We’re waiting...
View ArticleRemoving Our Hats -- And Changing Everything
Desmond Tutu tells a story of when he was nine or 10 years old and he stood with his mother outside a building where she worked as a cook. This was 1940s apartheid South Africa, where black people were...
View ArticleIs Love All We Need?
The Beatles first performed “All You Need Is Love” in 1967 as part of an “Our World” global television link, the first of its kind. The song was perfect for the occasion and became a hit. It’s got a...
View ArticleGive Like God -- or More Like Santa?
Have you ever given someone a gift knowing that person probably wasn’t going to keep it? You had no idea what to give, so you gave something — a sweater, let’s say, even though you knew the recipient...
View ArticleWho Are We to Judge?
One of my favorite quotes of 2013 comes from Pope Francis. Asked what he would say about a member of the Catholic clergy who is gay, he responded with a question of his own.“Who am I to judge?” Francis...
View ArticleA Gift of Hot Chocolate
My mom died in a nursing home five years ago this week. She spent the last 10 months of her life there following a severe stroke. Mary was buried next to her mom, Ann, at the top of a gently rising...
View ArticleProphets, Questions, and a Dream
Prophets are always asking questions. Tough questions. Unsettling questions. Questions that they pose to themselves, then try to answer by how they live.Questions such as:What’s in our hearts? Are we...
View ArticleBe a Light
Light is important to us. Those of us who live in the Midwest are reminded of how much we need it during this time of year. The sun sets early. On so many days, our sunlight is tinged with gray as it...
View ArticleBreaking Out
Have you ever watched a chick break out of its shell?My first experience with hatching was at the poultry barn at the Indiana State Fair. The building is the temporary home for hundreds of chickens,...
View ArticleLoose Threads
I noticed a loose thread in a blanket the other day and was reminded of something my mom always said: Never pull on a loose thread. All that will do is make it worse. It’ll yank on the other threads...
View ArticleYou Brought Me a Beer — and Took My Picture
My flight home from Phoenix over the weekend got pushed back, so I wound up spending an extra night at an airport hotel. Also, I got an $8 food voucher from the airline. I decided to eat at the...
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