Whenever I visit folks in the hospital, I follow the signs that are everywhere – Foam In/Foam Out; maybe this is something you’ve noticed in your own times visiting or being in a hospital, or maybe you don’t have any sort of framework for what this instruction might mean. But in all hospitals now,Continue reading “Mary and Judas”
Author Archives: Becca Kello
Vulnerability in the Wilderness
One of my favorite hymns in our tradition is “I sing a song of the saints of God;” in it the author of the hymn text writes about the saints of God and that God is helping us to be one too. My love for this hymn was shaped by the Episcopal Church atContinue reading “Vulnerability in the Wilderness”
Dying, yet Alive
There is something about the experiences I’ve had in life, or my natural bent to be at home in grief, that allows me to be very comfortable with death. It comes with the territory of being a priest, and it was what provided my first nudge toward seminary and ministry. The first time I satContinue reading “Dying, yet Alive”
The Measure You Give
The first time I practiced yoga, the instructor, once everyone was seated and quiet, encouraged the class to close our eyes and to “begin to notice your breath.” Despite her calm voice, my competitive and perfectionistic brain took a hard left in attempt to ‘win’ at yoga on that first try; I overcorrected and when I noticed that my breathingContinue reading “The Measure You Give”
Overwhelming Defeat and Tangible Hope
It has almost always been the case that some of my best reflections in life have happened sitting on the edge of a lake. I have prayed tearful prayers and sat and stared at the ebbing water wondering if God is really at work in this world at all. There is something the way inContinue reading “Overwhelming Defeat and Tangible Hope”
Inquiring and Discerning Hearts
One of my all-time favorite sitcoms is the recent show, The Good Place; it’s a show that poses the question of what if the afterlife really was as simple as some Christian folks believe. What if all the good things you do add points to your after-life total and all the bad things you doContinue reading “Inquiring and Discerning Hearts”
The Weary World Rejoices
“You shall fear disaster no more. The king of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; you shall fear disaster no more.” These were the words to which my heart was drawn in my prayer this week, long before any of us knew what disasters lay ahead. Yesterday morning, devastation was in the air. Walking my dogsContinue reading “The Weary World Rejoices”
Empowered, Grateful, Strong
Nothing in this world will make your life consistently harder than being committed to showing up fully, to refuse to numb and to retreat into a secluded world that narrows with each drink. And when I tell you that I’m grateful every day for the difficulty, it is true. I’m grateful for the the harshContinue reading “Empowered, Grateful, Strong”
Beginning to End
My favorite part of any good book is where you hold the bulk of the story in your left hand, with only a few in your right yet to be read. I love the feeling of familiarity that comes with that stage of the story; I love how you can almost tell where it’sContinue reading “Beginning to End”
What does it mean?
Recently, our Senior Warden, Shawn Rhodes, asked the congregation to think about what Christ Church means to them. It was an exercise that he did in preparing his short words about why his family gives financially to our church for his remarks about Stewardship. His words were powerful and moving, and made me begin toContinue reading “What does it mean?”