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?”

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”

Uncomfortable Places

       The lessons one learns on the Camino span the gamut of complex, soul-deep lessons that take years to unpack and obvious ones like learning to be careful about how much stuff you carry in your pack. You tend to take a rain jacket and one change of clothes, the shoes you walk in, andContinue reading “Uncomfortable Places”

Being Known by God

In 2010, Marina Abramovic, an experiential artist who creates exhibits that challenge and engage the viewer, had an exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art entitled “The Artist is Present.” In it she sat at a simple wooden table, across from which was an empty chair; the audience of this exhibit were invited to comeContinue reading “Being Known by God”

Sacred Bonds

I am curious about practically everything I have ever learned. I love to know about the mundane pieces of our lives; it does not take much to amaze me when it comes to the intricacies of how anything in this world works: the water cycle, traffic patterns, Microsoft Excel – I love all of it,Continue reading “Sacred Bonds”

With Christ as King

One of the things I did while on sabbatical last year was to spend some time digging into my family’s genealogy. What I learned about myself through this family exploration is that very often, there are things deeply woven into our being that only take on language as we tell the story of where we’veContinue reading “With Christ as King”

A Communal Cruciform Life

       In the Fall of 2019, the Rev. Michael Vollman, who ministers to Trinity Episcopal Church in Russellville, Kentucky, invited a small group of clergy from the western half of our diocese for a tour of the SEEK Museum. The SEEK Museum[1] works to uncover the stories of enslavement, freedom, equality, and justice for BlackContinue reading “A Communal Cruciform Life”

Thy Kingdom Come

Over 120 years ago, a fictional Irish character, Mr. Dooley, was written by Finely Peter Dunne, and he penned one of the best summaries of the preacher’s job as he went into a rant about the state of newspapers these days. Christian leaders back in 1902, were quick to lift the phrase, “afflict the comfortable,Continue reading “Thy Kingdom Come”