“This is the story and song our ancestors bequeathed to us, and it comes at a time in our country when the very things they struggled and died for — faith and freedom, justice and equality, democracy and grace —
I’m getting ready to teach a new class: “Spirituality & Sabbath.” I’m having a blast reading, mediating, praying, sketching, and thinking in preparation. As you may know, I’ve spent the better part of my adult life opening to faithful presence
This coming Wednesday – one week from today – begins an intentional journey inviting spiritual seekers to join in solidarity with suffering and all who suffer. It is a season to hold with honest generosity and curiosity the suffering one
“Spiritual Direction” is the theme of the February 8, 2021 edition of The Presbyterian Outlook. The issue provides resources to support Christian faith communities in their ongoing work of discerning the presence and invitation of the Holy Spirit through its
Yesterday’s acts of deadly violence executed by some extremist Trump supporters who stormed the Nation’s Capitol is egregious to say the least. But the idea that some those people were trying to justify their actions by claiming that Jesus Christ
In the late 2000’s (maybe 2009?) at Washington State’s Sasquatch Festival during a performance by Santigold of her hit, “Unstoppable” a lone guy starts dancing on a hill. Derek Sivers made this video famous by using it to illustrate the
God is _______! As a child I heard many responses meant to fill in this blank . . . just, holy, righteous, perfect, omnipresent, omnipotent, savior, love, and the list went on. I heard many names for God, mostly rooted
In 1962 Malvina Reynolds released her song “Little Boxes” – used as the theme for the Showtime series “Weeds” – and it’s a song capturing the fear of being ordinary, at least in part. The fear of having a ticky-tacky
“I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo.“So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is
Last trimester a student posted a link to this video in our course’s chat. I have gone back and watched it number of times since then, so I thought I’d post it here so I can have a record of
I received an email from a dear friend who is an executive director of a Latin American mission collective. As I responded to the email I thought I’d take some of what I offered, modify it slightly, and post it
The Hill We Climb by Amanda Gorman Mr. President, Dr. Biden, Madam Vice President, Mr. Emhoff, Americans and the world. When day comes we ask ourselves where can we find light in this never-ending shade? The loss we carry asea
This message from Michael Curry, the current Presiding Bishop and Primate of the The Episcopal Church, feels like an important one to attend to at this time in America. Exactly a week ago today the Capitol Building was under a
Maya Angelou is a wise and beautiful woman. Today I needed to hear her voice. Google led me to this video. I don’t know much about this clip… is she just talking, being interviewed, reading some of her prose ,
If Rudyard Kipling If you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you; If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, But make allowance for their doubting too;
Penny Rabbit & Summer Bear by Kishi Bashi Under the ocean, far from the sun Penny Rabbit, wondering “When will we ever become one? Must I suffer days to come?” Fresh out of wishes, fate wouldn’t dare He had to
Here is the City of Bellevue’s recently approved (December 14th, 2020) plan for learning to live in relationship with creation. I wish it had a more clearly linked connection to the UN’s 17’s “Sustainable Development Goals” especially given the relative
Here’s my top ten list of books from 2020. Every year I pull together a list of the recently published books that have worked their way into my imagination in some important way. Surely more books could be included, especially
“Next Year in Jerusalem!” my brother reassured me, as I lamented our pandemic Easter. 2020 relentlessly exposed the myth of control I try to hide behind. Sometimes I fear the cracks in my spiritual, emotional, relational, and physical realms will
The New Urban Agenda Illustrated handbook (at the bottom of this post) serves as the base for the New Urban Agenda online crash course. This course is offered through the United Nations Habitat. The self-paced course in two parts is available
Abecedarian Requiring Further Examination of Anglikan Seraphym Subjugation of a Wild Indian Rezervation by Natalie Diaz Angels don’t come to the reservation. Bats, maybe, or owls, boxy mottled things. Coyotes, too. They all mean the same thing— death. And death
I was in a Wabash funded Zoom meeting last week facilitated by Dr. Shelly Rambo of Boston University and Dr. Trace Haythorn from the ACPE and they ended our meeting with “The Keep Going Song” by the Bengsons. I hadn’t
Sunday we light the third candle of Advent… its the pink or rose colored Gaudete candle; from the Latin word meaning, “rejoice.” Advent is a season of anticipation. Anticipation can be imagined as the necessary, if not complex blending of
The theme of the January 2021 issue of SoJourners magazine is “A Time To Rebuild,” and it features a story titled, “How to thrive in a Decade of Accelerating Change” by Associate Editor, Da’Shawn Mosley. Da’Shawn interviewed Tom Sine and
This 10 minute video put together by the Thriving Communities Group is a beautiful introduction to our vital need for a renewed Shalomic imagination for faithful presence within the ecosystem of relations that sustain life. The video is really good!
“For unless love becomes tenderness—the connective tissue of love—it never becomes transformational. The tender doesn’t happen tomorrow . . . only now.” Gregory Boyle The Tacoma Catholic Worker newsletter which graced my mailbox yesterday referred back to some of the
Unlike Canada’s Thanksgiving practice, which is more of a harvest celebration, the American observation is couched in a subjugating narrative. Wisdom is invited of you as you navigate this holiday. The particularity of your bodied, cultured, and located self will
“We can approach the future with confidence because we know the end from the beginning, the mustard seed wins the day.” Tom Sine Here is a link to a recent webinar Tom Sine and I hosted exploring our new book.
The Right Reverend Richard Bott is the current Moderator of the United Church of Canada. He composed this beautiful prayer for when we put our masks on, and has given permission for it to be shared (asking only that we attribute it
SINGULARITY by Marie Howe (after Stephen Hawking) Do you sometimes want to wake up to the singularity we once were? so compact nobody needed a bed, or food or money — nobody hiding in the school bathroom or home alone
