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personal privilege
It is a pastor's privilege to be with people in some of life's important moments. As easy as it might be for someone to say, "Of course the preacher is there...", it is nothing to take for granted....
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a new day!
Friends, we are a different country today than we were days or weeks ago. Something has come upon us. And we will soon have a leader who will carry us forward. Someone who has vision for our broken...
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and while you're at it, bring a doughnut, too
It's true. There's no hiding it. The pastorate, as a profession, continues to be an Old Boys Club. (And, one could further argue a particular age, marital status, and family system.) I knew what I was...
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There is a Season
"... In an achievement-driven society, life is not a thing of seasons; life is a product to be perfected and perserved. To this mind, it is never possible to simply go on, past the things of the past...
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superstar girls
I will never be one. I do it in my own way, but I will never truly be one. You know, the ones who always look amazing. The ones whose kids are always well-behaved. The ones whose hair is always...
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life lesson #276
Hallowed days, Christmas Eve and Easter are both treasures and booby prizes of ministry. They are the days most hoped for and most feared. This year I wanted to leave town as soon as worship ended,...
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booted from BINGO
Another funny tale for my collection:Last Saturday I volunteered to help some older folks play BINGO. The coordinator encouraged me to arrive early, bring prizes, and greet people as they arrived. I...
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faux pas
At this week's conversation set in the local pub, we were discussing the discipline of fasting for Lent. Folks chimed in about giving up chocolate, television, and various other things. One man said...
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drive, drive, drive... let it ride!
Last week I drove across the country with my college roommate. Crazy good times! Though I am not a fan of car time, it was wonderful to spend time with K and see the sights! Here are two of the many...
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The Community
Some are very lucky to live in the midst of their community, having friends and supporters, encouragers, and challengers around them. Some of us, however, live in the diaspora. We are part of the...
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a REAL girl
Last night someone told me how they were describing me to another person. In their attempt to downplay my ministerial role, they said, "She's like a real person..." "Like a real person?," I asked. I am...
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rules are/not made to be broken
It is no longer cool for clergy to live separate from the world. After several decades of ministers hanging out with folks and trying to make church a friendlier place, church leadership have been...
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To love or not to love: THAT is the question
... whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer...I am wondering if it is possible to un-love someone. It seems that if you truly love someone/thing/people it would be impossible to un-love them. Of...
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Is a compliment a compliment?
I'm not good at accepting unexpected compliments, compliments that point to an undesirable truth, or back-handed compliments. They're awkward. And while it would be much easier to say, "thank you" and...
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Poem as prayer
I love poetry! Here's a great one I read today..."Song" (by Adrienne Rich)You're wondering if I'm lonely:OK then, yes, I'm lonelyas a plane rides lonely and levelon its radio beam, aimingacross the...
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for a beloved friend...
Vashti H. Flannagan, old soul and cantankerous cat, joined the yard triumphant on Thursday, June 10, 2010. Having lived a full life (fuller than we will ever know), she celebrated her twentieth...
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Lifeline alert
Delivering home communion recently, I found myself in a circle of older women. Our hostess, whom I will call "Alberta", was mostly deaf with a dead hearing aid battery. As I was breaking the bread...
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yet again
I'm a fan of Christ coming to save all of creation. I'm not so much a fan of all of creation literally sitting at the Communion Table. This week, at their owner's invitation, an old dog was served the...
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that look!
If only we could remember the look on our faces when we were baptized... (for those of us baptized as infants) Sunday morning's baby came with mouth wide open in happy surprise, and eyes looking up, as...
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unplugged
I turned off my tv. I unplugged my computers. I disconnected my cable. And life got pretty quiet. I worried that it would be an extreme way of living. I worried that I would feel isolated and...
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I need a man
I can't believe I haven't posted this story yet...A few weeks ago, I visited an octogenarian couple in their home. I took a classic home cookin meal of stewed chicken, buttermilk biscuits, and soggy...
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wayfarer
I find myself yet again in a time of wandering and wondering. As long as I can remember, something has felt different within me. Something that prevents me from feeling like I'm part of whatever "we"...
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Worthy points to ponder
I've been reading the mystics again. Here are two quotes that continue to stick with me:* "Hope always draws the soul from the beauty that is seen to what is beyond, always kindles the desire for the...
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taking over
I was with a small congregation in rural Kentucky today. On the way down I passed an unincorporated town whose motto was "preserving the past to protect the future". That could mean any number of...
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