As a young seminary student, I remember Dr. Bill Leonard walking through the classroom, hands behind his back, reciting the Christmas story from memory with the narrative beauty and power only Dr. Leonard possesses. The beauty of that Christmas story, … Continue reading
Habakkuk 2:1‒3 Amidst the mess of our days, it is easy to idealize hope, peace, joy, and love as if they are states that exist somewhere other than where we stand right now. Wendell Berry begins one of his poems … Continue reading
Psalm 27 On Peace Sunday, we hammered crosses into our lawn to represent victims of violence in our city. Too many names. Too many crosses. Psalm 27 begins, The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? Lately, … Continue reading
Psalm 27 A few days ago, a terrorist drove down a bicycle path in a rental truck and killed eight people who were recorded just moments earlier biking joyfully in the big city. A poll has come out revealing a … Continue reading
“Mary was about to have a baby. It is very hard to walk when you are about to have a baby.” These are the beginning words from the Godly Play text that tells of Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem. … Continue reading
Last year at this time, I was preparing for my first Christmas without my father, who had died nine months earlier. My family was preparing to gather at his home in Knoxville from places as far as Massachusetts, Indiana, North … Continue reading
Psalm 85:8‒9 It was a brisk December day in Kamakura. My late husband, Tim, and I visited a Buddhist temple where we walked around and inside the second largest Buddha in Japan. As we boarded the crowded train to return … Continue reading
When my son was little, opening gifts on Christmas morning often went well into the afternoon. This was in part because he was spoiled lavishly by his grandma, but mostly because of the time and attention he gave to each … Continue reading
Psalm 85:1‒2 God, you smiled on your good earth! You brought good times back to Jacob! You lifted the cloud of guilt from your people; you put their sins far out of sight. (The Message) God. Is. Awesome. The psalmist wrote in today’s … Continue reading
As I enter my first Advent season as a college student, I begin to realize how special the Advent season truly is. The past few months have consisted of a constant fluctuation between highs and lows, as change has been … Continue reading