As twilight falls, I sit in a favorite chair in my study. The glow of the candles casts shadows in the room from their placement near an icon in a corner. In the stillness, I begin to sing a familiar hymn: O come, O come, Emmanuel And ransom captive Israel….… Read More »The Coming of God-With-Us
There are times I think about growing up and how wonderful it was. When I was very young, I’d play for hours in my sandbox. As I got older, I’d go walking in the woods and play beside the creek. In time, I learned to drive and like most of… Read More »Healing Inner Pain
It’s much the same this year as it was last year….and the year before that. In the week before the Thanksgiving holiday, many TV shows in the United States have a Thanksgiving-themed episode. They generally follow the same plot: a holiday dinner with family that turns into the height of… Read More »Thanksgiving: The Way It Is
It is without a doubt that my favorite season of the Christian liturgical calendar is Advent. As someone drawn to the contemplative dimension of life, the four-week opportunity marked by hopeful anticipation touches my spirit deeply. This year, I’m inviting you to join me for a virtual Advent retreat. … Read More »Advent: A Spiritual Journey
Miami Beach, Florida: For about six years it was my home. Living there always meant that no matter how much work I was doing, I could feel like I was on vacation in just a few minutes. That’s because the beach was just a few minutes drive from my home.… Read More »A Larger Perspective on Life
“The Bible says it; I believe it; that settles it!” That sounds like something from a bumper sticker. It’s a claim I find to be shocking whenever an Evangelical or Fundamentalist Christian makes. it. The statement reflects a belief that the Bible is the Word of God: words spoken by… Read More »The Bible: The Word of God? No.
One of my favorite stories which has been told for generations by preachers is about a person who hoped to find the answer to a pressing question by looking in the Bible. After prayerful consideration of the problem, this person was inspired to open the Bible to a random page,… Read More »The Bible and Living Well: It’s not Complicated
Throughout the world at any given time, a natural disaster may occur. Earthquakes, typhoons, wiwildfires, volcanic eruptions, tornados, hurricanes, floods, drought….the list is overwhelming. When natural disasters occur, when people’s lives are overturned, when there is a loss of life and destruction of property, people often ask questions like why… Read More »Hurricanes, Fires, and Floods: Where is God?
