We need stories to stay alive
A businessman walks the airport concourse, on his way to baggage claim. His flight is late in arriving, and his mood is melancholy. This is the end of a long business trip; his energy spent and his emotions raw. If…
A place that heals you
A place that heals you, and a place that inspires you. These are the two places we need to go often. And I’m grateful for your notes and encouragement, as I’m preparing to revisit healing and inspiring places from my…
From our head to our heart
At the turn of the century, Ted Shawn, a young seminarian called to the ministry, was stricken with polio. Somewhere deep inside, he heard another, although very unlikely voice, calling him to dance.So. That's what Ted Shawn did. With great…
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…
May love guide our steps
On my walk this morning, the geese are huddled, no doubt wishing they had headed south for the winter.“I get it,” I tell them.And since the geese weren’t in a hurry to scurry off, I decided a brief homily wouldn’t…
It is better to light a candle
“It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness.” Thank you, Eleanor Roosevelt.Please count me in. I’m definitely in favor.And yet, I do wonder how (and even if) it is possible—to spill light, or to make a difference,…
What makes my heart sing?
In the beginning, God didn’t make just one or two people; he made a whole bunch of us. “Because” he said, “you can’t really have a lot of fun—taking delight and savoring life—unless there’s a whole bunch of you.”And he…
Peace is our gift to each other
I write this sitting by the fireplace, savoring the dancing flames. The Advent candles are lit, and Silent Night is playing in the background.A settled stillness. And deep breaths for this gift of enough. Smiling about the magical power of…
The gift of hope
This morning, on the first Sunday of Advent, I lit a candle in The Porto Cathedral, where my Camino began almost three weeks ago. And began to walk north again, on the Camino route for just the first stage, as…
The gift of sufficiency
On Christmas Eve, a young father watches his 3-year-old daughter do her best to meticulously wrap a present. And she feels old enough to do so, without any help from a parent. (Remember that phase?)Choosing a roll of expensive gold-foil…