When I had the opportunity to walk the Camino de Santiago de Compostela, an ancient pilgrimage across Northern Spain a few years ago, I shared stories and pictures from that journey with this congregation. One of the conversations I had when I got back, was with someone who marveled at how, in every picture, IContinue reading “A Hard Edges and Dark Corners Christmas”
My Advent Prayer
I count it one of my life’s great gifts that I went to the same small, liberal arts college as my younger brother. For most of our lives up until our college years, I was painfully quiet and shy, and he was, well, painfully loud and gregarious. He was on campus for less than twoContinue reading “My Advent Prayer”
Baptized into Love
The way the story goes in my family history, it was my grandmother who first noticed. My dad’s mom raised five boys on the southside of Indianapolis, in a two-bedroom home so she got pretty good at paying attention. But it was my grandmother who first noticed that as I graduated from the chaos ofContinue reading “Baptized into Love”
Healing and Hurt
One of my favorite things about our language is a turn of phrase or idioms; I love the way they short-hand common experiences and provide a level of familiarity. I love these turns of phrases, because they fast track our communication. Recently, I looked into the origins of one of my most often used idioms:Continue reading “Healing and Hurt”
What Do We Lack?
Maybe I’m projecting my own awkwardness on all of you, but I’m keenly aware of two things this morning. First, I’ve stolen the opening line from last week’s sermon. Preaching about Mark’s account of Jesus’ diatribe on divorce is no easy task, and I am grateful for Father Steve’s skill in preaching the truthContinue reading “What Do We Lack?”
At What Cost And To What End?
It may be no surprise that when I was in elementary school, I was what was known as a “teacher’s pet,” because teachers generally liked my attention to detail, obsessive rule following, and my general quiet nature. Public speaking and preaching is part of my job now, but for most of my childhood andContinue reading “At What Cost And To What End?”
Called to the Table
There is something particularly curious about how phrases and cultural ideas change and taken on new forms and meanings, and they move through the decades and centuries. Certain images or phrases tend to take on their own life and become essentially detached from the original culture and intended audience. The phrase “spill the beans” likeContinue reading “Called to the Table”
Becoming What We Receive
Before I went to seminary, I taught preschool, and I’m so grateful for those years. I loved that time of life and I’ve been able to carry so many lessons from that work. Whether it’s having to use my teacher voice to get attention, or my knowledge of universally beloved children’s books, or the wayContinue reading “Becoming What We Receive”
We Need Each Other
There is perhaps nothing I love more than a good, solid metaphor. A good metaphor can both shows how a principle applies to a situation and tells a story about how it might link to a larger narrative as well. Currently, on the metaphors that I return to again and again is that ofContinue reading “We Need Each Other”
God’s Rest and Healing
Throughout my life, I can reflect back on the ways in which I have been privileged to have many different teachers and how many of my most important lessons in life have come from unexpected places. One continual, and perhaps surprising teacher, is a well-known painter from whom I learned that, “there are noContinue reading “God’s Rest and Healing”
Becca Kello 