The Measure We Give

       There are times when I turn to the Holy Scriptures and God’s comfort is undeniable, but sometimes, on the first read, I can read our sacred texts as an impossible bar to clear. In today’s gospel, I have to confess, my first thoughts were that I do not love my enemies as I should;Continue reading “The Measure We Give”

Redeemed, Beloved, and Called

There is a particular sort of response that I have whenever someone really pushes my buttons; maybe it’s an inflamed issue that gets lots of attention in the media or something more deep-seeded and woven into childhood wounds, but no matter the cause, I tend to have the same response, and since it’s my lastContinue reading “Redeemed, Beloved, and Called”

A Hard Edges and Dark Corners Christmas

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”