By Jayne Davis “The road emerged only as I walked it.” — Jurgen Moltmann One of the most exciting things for me in a coaching conversation is listening for the next question. Rather than coming in with the expert hat…
The spiritual practice of creating margin
By Jayne Davis My weary body slid into the lounge chair by the pool like Derek Jeter stealing second base — out of breath, a bit scuffed up and like I had taken something I wasn’t supposed to have: a…
The spiritual practice of running the race
By Jayne Davis “Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.”— Hebrews 12:1b Running a 5K on the first weekend in January is not ideal, even in the South. It can be a bit brisk, to…
Sometimes it’s just a matter of showing up
By Jayne Davis It was really such a simple plan. The group would meet at my house at 4:30 for coffee and dessert and then head off together to the nursing home at 6 to sing Christmas carols for residents…
Hearing God’s voice through the clamor
By Jayne Davis I hate to admit it. My hearing is not what it used to be. Voices in the room sound a bit more muffled. Reading lips is an emerging skill. Some days I truly believe my kids are…
Hearing God’s voice through the clamor
I hate to admit it. My hearing is not what it used to be. Voices in the room sound a bit more muffled. Reading lips is an emerging skill. Some days I truly believe my kids are speaking more softly…
iPhones and paper Bibles
He stuck his head in the classroom door like a substitute English teacher on the biology hall, looked at the well-dressed occupants and stepped back into the hall. His Sunday School class of 30-somethings was to begin meeting with this group of…
Have Christians become opportunistic omnivores?
Opportunistic omnivores. What a great phrase! No, it has nothing to do with ruthless mergers and acquisitions. It’s how our Walk in the Woods guide, Sam, described the black bears in the Smoky Mountains on our hike up Mt. LeConte…
Faith & the Final Four
There’s something about championship games that bring out the athlete wannabe in all of us. After watching the World Series, I grew up intent on becoming the first female pitcher for the New York Yankees. One look at my wind…
Tenebrae & Trust
There’s something unfortunate about me and holidays. Like the time my hand got slammed in a door just as I was going in to the sanctuary to preach on Christmas Eve. There’s nothing like standing in front of 500 people,…
Embrace the darkness
It’s always a priceless moment on Daylight Savings Sunday. As the crowd that set their clocks ahead leave worship, those who didn’t enter the sanctuary a bit bewildered. Being a staff minister, it’s always a restless night, for fear that…
New Year’s resolutions
Are you a resolution maker? Spiritual formation ministers LOVE resolution makers. They keep us in business, really. There’s something powerful and inviting about the chance to be different; to be better somehow. Resolutions inspire the imagination with possibilities, like opening…