About a week ago, one of my Facebook (FB) friends posted this comment as a status up-date: “Everybody sins & God loves everybody. No exceptions. How come people like to separate the clauses?” I may not have given the comment much notice, but this FB friend is known to be… Read More »Sin: Can We Talk About It?
A few days ago, I was reading an online article about the use of spiritual assessments. In many institutional settings, including hospitals and the military, the use of assessments for spirituality has become common. There is a wide variety among these instruments but they generally ask a range of questions… Read More »Spirituality in the Absence of Belief
Saturday morning. After an hour-long aerobic workout, I jumped into the shower feeling very much awake and alive. Refreshed from the shower, I sat at the kitchen counter and peeled one of the special oranges shipped from a Florida grove. The juice ran over my hands as I pulled back… Read More »The Real Thing
It’s a new year. It’s also a new quarter for me at the university. While preparing for my next round of courses, I thought about a discussion I regularly have with the students in psychology. The conversation is about a therapist’s theoretical orientation. Let me explain. Therapists are encouraged to… Read More »Who We Are
The calendar page turns once again. As we eagerly watch the dropping of the ball in Times Square to usher in 2011, we also make resolutions for the New Year. We will resolve to live life in a better way than we did in the past, to do something of… Read More »New Year’s Resolutions
In my youth, I attended Catholic schools. In that setting, I was taught a great deal about Mary, the mother of Jesus. The Mary I learned about was pure, humble, obedient, silent and long-suffering. As an adult, I came to understand that the Mary presented to me in my youth… Read More »Giving Birth to God
I recently read a story about Sir John Polkinghorn, the renowned particle physicist who, as a second career, became an Anglican priest. The members of his first parish weren’t sure if they would be able to understand sermons delivered by this very accomplished scientist. Dr. Polkingham quickly changed that perception… Read More »The Truth about Christmas
Why am I a Christian? Over the years, a number of people have asked me this question. After all, I hold positions not typically associated with most American Christians. I am pro-choice, support marriage equality for lesbian and gay people, view stem cell research as promising and hopeful, and accept… Read More »On Being a Christian
