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…
Where we begin to heal
“Oh the land of the cloudless day,” Willie sings. The music is cranked up, of course, to the level that makes your heart swell. And I smile big, thinking how I prefer my life and my stories that way; with…
The light we can spill
Another week when so many in our world feel alarmed or exhausted, scrambling in their minds to make sense of it all.And I know this; when I’m tired, I prefer my head in the sand.After all, “What can I do…
Music as the hands of grace
I believe in the healing power of revisiting. Returning to stories—in books and movies and parables—that have reminded us that hope and joy and renewal are alive and well. Stories that ground us in the gifts of sufficiency and wholeness.…
Music, a place of sanctuary
During the Bosnian War, Serbs surrounded the city of Sarajevo. And the people of Sarajevo knew that sniper fire could kill anyone, indiscriminate; whether they stood in a bread line or were collecting a child from school.Even so, in the…
Dance in the dark
Reverend Otis Moss (senior pastor at Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago) tells a story about a time when he and his church were under attack, some years ago. They were receiving dozens of death threats every week, “We’re…
Freedom to choose to care
The Sunday-school teacher asked her 10-year-old students if they would be willing to give $1,000,000 to missionary work for children and families in need."Yes," they all screamed in unison."Very good. Would you give $1000?""Yes!""Good. Would you give $1?"The class responded,…
Soaked in Grace
GK Chesterton tells the story of a teenage boy granted one wish by a genie. “Do you wish to be huge or tiny?”We are all swayed by the appeal of being big, strong and powerful. So, no surprise, the boy…
They serve one another
It has been another week where the news makes us wonder if there are any answers... accompanied by feeling powerless, deeply emotional, horrified, angry, and scared.I am grateful for your emails. One asked, “You talk about spiritual hydration. But how…
To reflect the light
During the recent pandemic shutdown, on my walk every day, I stopped to chat with (and yes, often preach to) the congregation of sheep just around the corner from my house. I miss them.They gave me the permission to simply…