I’ve been talking so much about exile lately; it seems like it’s a constant theme with me and my friends. Not only was it a theme for folks in the 1st century, it’s an applicable concept today. “Exile is what happens when all the questions no longer apply; it’s the place where nothing makes sense.” … Continue reading
I’m probably alone in this, but sometimes I feel like Jesus has a funny way of healing people. To my eyes and ears, Jesus’ healings have a hard edge to them. For instance, we are told that one time Jesus heals a man with a “withered hand” on the Sabbath, and the religious experts are … Continue reading
Shortly before Jesus is arrested, Mark records this dinner that he attends. While he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at the table, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very costly ointment of nard, and she broke open the jar and poured the ointment on his … Continue reading
Last week, I wrote about the public nature of “bearing our crosses”; how they aren’t easily hidden, and are pretty obvious to people. I challenged you all to take up a cross with someone, and share it with someone. Maybe you did that; maybe you didn’t. That’s the nature of the interwebs, I guess. But … Continue reading
After calling the crowd together with his disciples, Jesus said to them, “All who want to come after me must say no to themselves, take up their cross, and follow me.” (Mark 8v34) I’m going to assume, for just a moment, that you know some of the details of what Jesus is talking about—that “taking … Continue reading
Lent begins today, and many of us have already made preparations: we’ve prayerfully considered what we will surrender during this time, we’ve made arrangements for our fasts, we have sought out an Ash Wednesday gathering to be a part of. All of these are good, good things. But they’re not the best thing. One of the verses that always … Continue reading
If you are a parent, you know you just can’t be perfect all the time. In fact, I have long stretches when the failures—the spectacular, extraordinary failures—far outnumber the successes. Days when there’s no patience in me. When I raise my voice. When I can’t control my non-verbal communication. Fail, fail, FAIL. Declaring, “Failure is not an option,” may … Continue reading
Never once in my life did I ask God for success or wisdom or power or fame. I asked for wonder, and he gave it to me. -Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel The short list of the thoughts, images, and words that opened my eyes a littler wider this week… Personal retreats of solitude. Henri Nouwen’s … Continue reading
Never once in my life did I ask God for success or wisdom or power or fame. I asked for wonder, and he gave it to me. -Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel The short list of things that opened my eyes a littler wider this week… Psalm 46 Getting reacquainted with The Smiths. Every. Single. … Continue reading
Soul-work is hard. Since my Sabbatical began, I’ve been going inside myself to see more, learn more, and ultimately heal more. What I’m finding hasn’t been pretty. For now, I’ll spare you most of the gory details, but this one thing has been coming up, over and over again. This one aspect of my … Continue reading
