Every so often I look at our dining room table and let out a big sigh. I do not think it will ever get cleaned off. It’s the place where we eat most of our meals. It’s also the biggest horizontal space in the house, so the mail and the newspaper and backpacks and stuff … read
“Show me your scars, and I won’t walk away.” In high school, I had a teacher who had the scars of a severe burn on his face since his own childhood. A huge visible red area. Every time he walked in the room, that was the first thing you would notice about him. I’ll never … read
A few weeks ago I read an article* entitled, “How to Feel Alive Again.” It caught my eye because it was the end of February when we are thick in our gray, drippy winter, and because I had been thinking about COVID still casting its shadow over us, and I was considering that maybe the … read
One Palm Sunday commentator used an unusual metaphor to unpack the mixed bag that was Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem: bagpipes. Writer Brian Maas tells of being called to a congregation whose tradition it was to have bagpipes lead the palm parade into the sanctuary. Although I enjoy bagpipes, I’ve never thought of them as using … read
I’m not ready for my brothers to die. I have two brothers, Kevin and Daniel. As I was preparing this sermon, I just thought about if either of them became gravely ill. What I could have done, should I have called them more. I don’t really think I’m ready for any of my loved ones … read
If I were to ask you to close your eyes and name ten things you just saw, would you be able to do it? Probably yes—either because this is such a visually stimulating place or because you’ve been here often enough that you could remember what is visible in the front of the sanctuary. If … read