Let us let go of the labels
In Luke's Gospel, there is a story about a "bent woman." We don't know her name. Just the label that has been given to her. A label she has carried for 18 years. Those around her put her in a…
No longer afraid
Going through his five-year-old son's backpack, a father found a picture of a little boy standing under a rainbow crying. His first thought was, "Oh God, my son is having some serious problems."When he asked his son about the picture,…
The gift of making space
Even if you have made other plans for your day or week, jet lag from an overseas flight does a number, and your body tells you to “chill out”. As in, the list you made, can wait.Which is perfect advice…
Our reservoir of Grace
In the emergency room, Benny's face is black and blue, caked in dried blood, his eyes pinched shut, his lips swollen and bleeding. In the middle of the night, two men had broken into Benny's home, beaten him severely, and…
The gift of faithfulness
When life is hard or disappointing, and we feel powerless, discouragement takes root. There are tipping points. But here’s what really takes a toll: because life feels too heavy, we swallow the narrative that there is little to show for…
You are a light
I saw a friend at the grocery store today.”You look tired.” he said.“Yeah,” I replied. “Yesterday was a long week.”These days are dog years for human beings with working empathy.(Thank you John Pavlovitz)Yes, it is easy to get discombobulated. Off-kilter.…
Let us be this alive
“It is a serious thing just to be alive on this fresh morning in this broken world.” Thank you, Mary Oliver.A funny thing happened on my way to writing Sabbath Moment this week. A heartwarming detour, enamored on an enriching…
Wholehearted and fully alive
In June 1859, Jean-François Gravelet (known as The Great Blondin) crossed Niagara Falls walking a tight rope. During his life, he repeated the feat several times, always with a different theatrical variation: blindfolded, in a sack, trundling a wheelbarrow, on…
Worth the risk
Last night our sky lit up, glowing with drama and theater, flashes of lightning followed by resounding thunder, accompanied by wind and heavy rain. And let’s just say, this is very rare for the PNW, especially in August. Even so,…
The gift of showing up
As I write this, I’m relishing revisiting an article I had clipped, with a photo of the man giving this testimonial: "It made me feel like a human being again."Wow. Is he referring to a church? To a mandatory therapy…