Blog

The Climate Crisis and Christian Witness
It is the “least of these among us” —the poor, the marginalized, communities of color, our children and grandchildren, and many of our fellow creatures

The Shared Work of Worship
Every Sunday, an elder writes and leads a prayer of intercession for the congregation, and a deacon writes and leads a prayer for our context

Traditional Values, Human Rights, and Being “Modern”
I introduce the Rev. Carolyne Adhola, a priest in the Anglican Church of Kenya. Her story is both shocking and thrilling: shocking because of what

Barak: The Great Ache for Blessing
That declaration of goodness, the conferral of favor from a voice of ultimate importance — it’s the great ache of human life.

Another Shanghai Story
I stumbled upon the remarkable story of how Shanghai proved to be a place of refuge for Jews fleeing the Nazi terror in central Europe.

Your Own Small Syllabus
As an academic, the start of the school year is more the new year than whatever that thing we do in January. I know no

In Praise of Human Kindness
Two tornadoes within two weeks tore through our leafy little village. The first split trees, broke branches, and caused flooding – a glancing blow. The

Stories Written into the Land
I’ve wondered what must it have felt like to the Indigenous people to have someone from outside, just say, “Actually no, from now on this

From The Double Grace of the Gospel
Although a myth persists in some circles that the Reformed tradition has little interest in the evangelist aspect of global mission, the significant place of

Devotional Practices I Have Tried (and More or Less Failed At)
“Devotions,” done well, are a lifelong practice of deeply personal longing and wrestling in response to a God who draws us to the divine self,

The Church Has No Police
I wrote parking tickets. I wrote them righteously. I was strict. I was the enforcer. I was indignant at the violators. There are reasons for

What Remains
That which remains is more than memories, although the cliché given in sympathy bears some truth.