Category: Theology
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Uterus
If I had a uterus,I would want to be free to decide what to do with it.I would want to be trusted to make choices – The easy ones and the excruciating ones,The simple ones and the complicated ones,The proactive ones and the reactive ones.All of them. If I had a uterus,I would marvel, and…
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Not Exploited, But Emptied
Today I woke up thinking, “Who really knows how to do Palm Sunday?” After my mind ran through various possibilities, I ended up worshiping with the Episcopalians. When I arrived, an usher standing at the door of the sanctuary handed me a thick pile of paper and directed me to the courtyard. People smiled politely…
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I Am a Gnat
In the fall of 2004, I took my first 3-month sabbatical. Brooke and I were not yet parents. We were living in Colorado Springs and I was serving as the Associate Minister for Children, Youth, and Families. The focus of that sabbatical was to visit other worshiping communities near and far. The primary adventure was…
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Close Proximity
As a pastor on sabbatical, one of my practices has been to visit churches and other spiritual communities. This week I decided to look and see what were the closest churches to my home in Santa Rosa. One of them is a non-denominational Evangelical church and I rode my bike there for the 10:00 a.m.…
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To Love an Enemy
I’ve been thinking lately about whether it is possible, or even desirable, to love an enemy. In his sermon on the mount, Jesus says, ““You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you”…
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Adventures in Preaching 2.0
I’ve blogged before but it’s been awhile. When I was in my doctoral program I created a blog called “Adventures in Preaching.” I created 4 posts: https://adventuresinpreaching.blogspot.com The idea behind “Adventures in Preaching” was to reflect on the process of preaching and sermon preparation. When I returned from my residency to the parish, I did…
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Everyone Is Religious
What is religion? I found myself thinking about this question today. It’s a big one, unless you already decided long ago what religion is and therefore you don’t have to spare it another thought. I’m not exactly sure yet how to organize my thoughts on the subject, so I’ll share some ideas that may or…
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Redwoods of Lebanon
A few years ago, I preached a sermon on the Cedars of Lebanon, the famed trees of the Bible that stood for strength and endurance and beauty and steadfastness. It was a sermon on the climate crisis and I asked the congregation to consider our own coastal redwoods. They really are most incredible. I remember…
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