‘Blessings.’ I’m intrigued by the ways we use the word ‘bless’ in common parlance: we say a blessing before a meal or say, “God bless you!” when someone sneezes. But “blessing” is more than that. ‘Blessing’ may be when we help someone in need or serve a neighbor. It can be our taking time to encourage another, recognizing and affirming... READ MORE >
It’s easy—well, most of the time—to love friends and family. We chose to spend our lives with a select few. Shouldn’t loving them be enough? But when Jesus tells us to love, he says, “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you?!” “Love your enemies,” he goes on. “Pray for those who persecute you. Walk... READ MORE >
I am canoeing down a lake, feeling great. I’ve been paddling lots this summer and I’m strong; after twenty-five years of paddling a canoe, this is easy! How could anyone think this is difficult or exhausting? Weaklings! And then I realize: I have a lovely following wind, pushing me along. Not a huge wind, just enough to give me that... READ MORE >
That May evening, 50 years ago, has held as the most crucial threshold in my life. Christ has proved to be faithful—always loving, holding—no matter the circumstances. The same, and yet different, which makes sense. Here are some ponderings about how my faith has changed: God is bigger. I no longer believe in a God who is so small that... READ MORE >
May 1970, it happened, and that evening became more life-altering and life-giving than decisions I would later make to move to other continents, get married, have children, get a PhD, get ordained. Fifty years on, I’ll share it, using part of my recent book OMG. May 1970. My boyfriend promised a friend we’d go hear a speaker at a Presbyterian... READ MORE >
I suspect many of you have been having weird dreams, like I have, during this pandemic time. One recurring theme in all my dreams is packing—what I’ve packed too much of or what I forgot. Our lives are sometimes compared to a journey, and the journey we’re on has taken a turn. You know how it is when you’re packing... READ MORE >
A close friend of mine, Jill, was raised in a very posh London suburb. Her parents were delightful, ‘frightfully proper’ people. (Her wedding reception held in her parents’ yard featured a footman who announced us as we made our way into the party!) Over the years I stayed with them many times. They were well-traveled, well read, and very comfortable.... READ MORE >
Many of us would like to use less plastic, but it can be hard to find other options. To help raise awareness of our plastic use and to help find alternatives, we are proposing a “Less Plastic for Lent Fast.” Lenten fasts have a long history— usually involving chocolate or meat—but choosing “Less Plastic for Lent” could be a meaningful... READ MORE >
We live in echo chambers— this, people say, is one of the reasons our society is so divided. People who believe in a deep state conspiracy listen to those who tell them that, yes, they do. Those of us for whom Trump’s immorality seems obvious, listen to commentators who tell us we’re right. No wonder we seem to be speaking... READ MORE >
Amazing Grace is a wonderful movie about William Wilberforce and his fight against slavery. In it, the character John Newton (who wrote the hymn Amazing Grace), and William Wilberforce, come to see clearly, what they had been blind to—the evil of the slave trade. There was no going back—”was blind, but now I see.” Many/most/all of us are blind to... READ MORE >
