Sitting in the intern’s office in the Pastoral Care department of Hendrix Hospital, I spent most of my first day as a hospital chaplain intern filling out paperwork, trying to get a handle on the layout of the hospital, and learning how to read patient print outs. On my second day, however, my supervisor tookContinue reading “Sharing and Receiving”
Urgent Discipleship
There is a certain, deeply felt joy in returning to Heavenly Rest and to get the chance to preach in the church that sponsored me for ordination; I am so grateful for this sacred space and the congregation of people that fill it each week to say their prayers and receive God’s Holy Communion. YouContinue reading “Urgent Discipleship”
The Spirit Offers What We Need
In the long, winding commute to my field education parish my last year of seminary, my drive led me weekly past the Pentagon, the Jefferson memorial, and through the cherry tree-lined Tidal basin. It was a beautiful, quiet, and peaceful drive early on Sunday mornings as I made my way from Alexandria, VA to Bethesda,Continue reading “The Spirit Offers What We Need”
God is Calling Us to Meet the Needs of the World
Anytime someone comes back from a trip, there is a desire for them to share what they experienced, and maybe even a cursory interest of other people in seeing what they saw. While the old trope of pulling out the at-home projector and watching slides of the family vacation is a little bit lost onContinue reading “God is Calling Us to Meet the Needs of the World”
Psalm 30: Wailing and Dancing
As a visual person, I prefer to read rather than listen to Scripture in worship. My brain doesn’t always catch the details when I only hear God’s word read, and I like the details. My love of language often finds its joy in a clever use of a word that isn’t easily perceived, or theContinue reading “Psalm 30: Wailing and Dancing”
Waiting and Remaining
He was dying, there was no denying it. I came to the ICU room after receiving a code blue while working as a chaplain in a hospital, and after a quick scan of the usual medical staff attempting to stave off the darkness of death for a little while longer, I realized his impending deathContinue reading “Waiting and Remaining”
Now My Soul is Troubled
Four-part harmony surrounded me as I sat on the padded pew, legs not quite reaching the floor and I balanced that blue songbook in my lap as I added my little voice to the congregation’s song; there were many aspects of the Christian tradition that raised me, but none so much as the hymns weContinue reading “Now My Soul is Troubled”
What is the Fruit?
All around was the throbbing hum of insects; underfoot was a lush bright green grass and in every direction, there were giant trees, every shade of green imaginable. The summers of my childhood were spent out in the wilds of middle Tennessee, not too different from Southcentral Kentucky, catching frogs and fishing in the creek.Continue reading “What is the Fruit?”
A Communal Lent
Against the backdrop of the misty mountains, an older man carrying a hiking pack stands in front of a stone monument with the shape of a shell on its side; his heels balance on the edge of the rise of the hill and his eyes are downcast and reflective. The cover of one of myContinue reading “A Communal Lent”
Finding a New Depth
There is something about that second lane; the second lane is my favorite: still in the shallow end, but not right next to the wall. Every pool I’ve ever swam in has held for me a favorite lane, and it’s usually for some of the same reasons. I don’t like to be in the wideContinue reading “Finding a New Depth”
Becca Kello 