I’m looking for light. Searching the sky, seeking the scriptures, opening my eyes. This morning I caught some of the sunrise, with the flag at half mast. I raise the blinds, supplement with vitamin D, go for a walk. Take advantage of every opportunity because these are evil times. Ephesians 5:16 (CEB) I feel the weight of the darkness, the chaos
Read MoreRemember. Fun times, happy occasions, the details of those we love. We are called to remember. Memory- for me, for most modern Americans- is an individual concept. Experiences in which we participated. We make memories, document and edit them in our photos, featuring our self(ies) for future reference. We worry about loss of memory. The biblical
Read MoreItaly was the first place I saw a line on a wine glass, marking the appropriate pour of grappa. And I didn’t like it (the line. The grappa was fine.) Something in me bristles at the idea of imposing measurement on servers. Good bartenders cultivate relationships with guests, encouraging an experience of mutual sharing. Measuring reduces
Read MoreI try to wrap my mind around the idea of a life, moment to moment, focused on love. When I get up in the morning, whom do I love? As we work, as we drive, as we meet people, as we plan, as we attend to all the tasks that come our way- is love
Read MoreWe keep worrying about the same things. Who’s on the list? (Are we? Are they??) Why wasn’t so-and-so there? Moses summoned seventy elite elders to the tent of meeting for a special anointing from the Lord. Eldad and Medad were registered. But they didn’t show up. They were back in the camp. Perhaps tending wives
Read MoreIt’s that time of year. Time to review my giving. Check up on charitable donations. Summer is chaotic. Sometimes I forget to schedule a tithe check. When I pull up my giving history, I see where the holes are. Ouch. Do I have enough to catch up my contributions in one swoop? Don’t withhold good
Read MoreI like systems. Predictability frees our brains to focus on content over process. But no matter how good the concept, or how smooth the execution, every system has its flaws. And so there is freedom. To tweak. Change. Adapt. Create anew. Every church has a system for communion. Set by the denomination, or a charismatic
Read MoreI often wonder why people go to church. Strangers, in sanctuaries I’ve never visited. What goes on inside their heads and hearts? I read the marquees as I drive by. What happens inside those buildings? I search my own experience, listen for clues in other people’s stories. At Choate, the boarding school far from my Montana
Read MoreThe B begs for explanation. That, and the “mass” sculpture. What does it mean to be Biblical? Why is there a huge tangle of colors in the corner the sanctuary? The answers are intertwined, of course. Our New Covenant “bridge” identity is metaphor, image, and acronym. Human beings need connection — to God and to each other
Read MoreBelow is another installment in our occasional book review feature, written by our “resident librarian,” Carolyn Vance. Books have always been important in my life. I’ve always loved reading. As a shy and timid child, books would take me places, expose me to characters and ideas that I otherwise would not encounter, and stimulate my imagination. I’m
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