The light is out, we’ve read our books and told our stories, our songs have been sung, our prayers said, it is time for me to go.
Read More2018 was a fairly good year for grammar, with a few notable exceptions. Twitter, obviously. But there were also problems in higher grammar, as any fan of the Oxford comma will tell you. That’s the so-called “optional” comma before the word “and” at the end of a list.
Read MoreThere was a time when I danced on tables and sang show tunes at the top of my lungs, dressed in outlandish costumes and performed in chorus lines.
Read MoreThis is a noisy time of year. Some of the sounds are delightful – like Christmas music on the radio and the chatter of children speculating about what Santa will bring.
Read MoreA very happy Advent to all of you! I’m thrilled to begin my first Advent at Christ Church. This is my very favorite season of our liturgical year.
Read MoreI hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving. And I really hope everyone caught the replay of one of the funniest moments in sitcom history: WKRP In Cincinnati’s iconic “Turkeys Away” episode. It’s now a Thanksgiving classic.
Read MoreThe night after it happened, I took a metro train to downtown Chicago. My friend and I were the only ones in the fluorescent lit cars. We were surprised the trains were even running, but we were glad for the rhythm of a their scheduled stops.
Read MoreFor preachers, there are two very awkward things about the story of the widow’s mite. So let’s start with those and get them out of the way.
Read MoreIn the first confirmation class I ever led, there was a remarkable young woman who had come to the Episcopal Church from a fundamentalist background. Seeing our Church through her eyes was enlightening and formative for me.
Read MoreA strange urban legend has been confirmed recently. At long last, reporters found people willing to go on record to discuss a long-standing but illegal practice having to do with spreading the ashes of loved ones.
Read MoreHe dreamed of the sound of the Jordan and the smell of soil, laughter along the river banks, the soft push of wind as his uncle handed him a wriggling fish, its scales slick and barbed. Then into his dream came Judah calling: “Wake up! The pilgrims are going to be generous today.”
Read MoreAccording to a recent headline, the total amount of human knowledge is doubling approximately every 13 months. And now, with the help of the internet, we are quickly on our way to doubling knowledge every 12 hours.
Read MoreYou might not remember this from elementary school, but learning about cause and effect can be very difficult for young children.
Read MoreRemember being asked what you wanted to be when you grew up? If you’re still a kid, you probably get asked this a lot. It got intense in high school, as I recall. Adults came in for career day to explain the merits of their chosen professions.
Read MoreHe didn’t tell anyone where he was going–a rookie mistake, but he was no beginner. The wind worn rock, the water etched sediments, each boney snag reaching up from the desert floor: it was a familiar place, a landscape he had mastered.
Read MoreYou know I can’t resist saying a few words about today’s passage from Proverbs. I can’t speak for the guys, but as a woman preacher it’s just too good to pass up. “A capable wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels.” So begins a famous list of what makes a great wife.
Read MoreRural Arkansas is filled with all kinds of characters, but one of my favorites is named Sally. Sally puts together a funeral potluck like you’ve never seen, and she is the most devoted preacher’s wife and grandmother I’ve ever met.
Read MoreWhen I was a child I had a small museum in the bedroom I shared with my brother. On the walkway toward our house, there was a hand painted sign directing visitors where to go, and near the entrance to our room I had a “pay what you can” donation jar.
Read MoreToday is Kick Off Sunday at Christ Church. It’s the day we launch the full slate of classes for children and youth here, and celebrate a new season of ministry with a kind of back to school enthusiasm. To do this we use a football reference, which is not exactly my strong suit.
Read MoreI knew a girl once in Chicago who dreamed of living on nothing but air. I was just out of college, working at a library, and I’d met her in a small organic grocery store. We became friends and had many conversations which all came around, eventually, to spirituality.
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