We are all trying to get back to Eden, whether we know it or not. All the strife and striving around us, all the fear and dread of losing rank or security – all of it is due to our desire to be loved and safe, with meaningful work and freedom from pain and despair….
Tossing the Milestones
There are many pain surgery centers in my area and, unfortunately, I’ve visited a few. In the last five years or so, I’ve been going to just one, and all the steroid injections and ablations have made me a familiar face to the nurses. (I always fill out my “patient survey” forms when I get…
Vocational Sinner?
I’ve wondered before, how do people in vocational ministry, particularly preachers and teachers, do their work while they sin? I’ve looked at our pastor before and wondered how he is still walking, talking, reading, and writing with the constant presence of God weighting his every step. Maybe that doesn’t sound that bad – maybe that’s…
The Golden Thread
What is your favorite verse in the Bible? Why does that particular one stick in your head? Sometimes we choose a verse because it’s tied to a certain time or part of our life. Others stand out because they describe an important truth about God. My favorite covers both, but more importantly, it sews together…
Sparrows
My slightly chubby orange cat Jasper is sitting on the rug next to my desk, biting his nails. My new kitten, Haven, is locked in the guest room so that Jasper can unwind from her never-ending assaults. My sweet, first (animal) child no longer acts like a large, aloof kitten, but sits and stares at…
Quail from Heaven
I love the Pentateuch. Not only is it fascinating to read the birth story of both the universe and the Jewish people, it offers a deep level of context to almost every other book of the Bible. In my studies of Matthew chapter six this week, I’ve been reminded of one of my favorite Bible…
Write or Right?
Today is Mother’s Day, and I lost my mom’s present. Even worse, because I spent so much time yesterday and this morning dumping out drawers and checking under furniture for the gift I bought her a month ago, I forgot that I hadn’t even written in her card. I just tucked it into my purse,…
Find Your People
For months, the concept of Christ’s Body, the Church has been percolating in my mind. As I’ve mulled over this odd piece of Christian theology, God has been gradually unveiling both his teaching on the subject as well as its tangible reality within my church. For most of my life, I’ve been a bit of…
Words and Weakness
“And I write,” I added to the nurse on the phone. So began a surprisingly rapid cascade of phone calls, tests, and appointments. I’ll back up a bit. A few days ago, I told my mom about a problem that’s been frustrating me for quite a while. I spend most of my days either reading…
Two Things
I got to say hi to P.W. last Sunday – the sky was clear, so her Meniere’s disease didn’t keep her bedbound. I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone so grateful and delighted to be at church on a Sunday morning. She’d love to linger with her church family all day, as our pastor had…
Before the Fire 