Blog

Bagel Girl and the Fruit of the Spirit
One day I casually asked her how she managed to get a bag of bagels delivered so consistently.

“Spot on Psalms” — Psalm 72: A Rubric for Evaluating Political Leadership
I’d like to suggest that we try reading Psalm 72 as a kind of rubric against which to evaluate our leaders.

Humanizing Science: Kate Marvel’s Human Nature
If you are giving a talk about climate change, the very last thing you want to do is flip through a series of slides with

Shanghai to Lioessens
it can be a relief to trace the track of little people who go on to great if often unremarked things. And it can be

On Behalf of a Grateful Nation
For me, this conflict feels personal. I pray for the chaplains who will knock on a door, and then try to say something when a

“This rather ridiculous performance”
My minister is currently preaching a sermon series for Lent on “sabbath,” encouraging us to think both theologically and practically about cultivating hearts and habits

When the River Turned to Ash
We’re talking about a tidal wave of gray sludge — the byproduct of burning coal — filled with arsenic, lead, and even radioactive material.

Lukewarm in a Burning World?
After the disruptions of Covid and denominational disaffiliation, how do I help a fragile church community hold together?

Spot On Psalms — Psalm 58: Praying for Political Enemies
Is it really OK for Christians to pray that their enemies dissolve into slime? I’m pretty sure Psalm 58 wasn’t what Jesus had in mind

Complicating Calling
Too often I think people equate calling to their “dream job,” their “life’s work,” or something similar.

Iran, the Middle East, and the Myth of Redemptive Violence
I saw video of smoke billowing from the American naval base in Bahrain this week. I recognized what I was seeing. The naval base in

Trading the Letter of the Law for the Language of Mercy
In my Grandma and in these aging characters, is found a softening that comes with experience and making one’s own mistakes.