Words matter. They are how we frame our society, our relationships, our entire lives. They are a gift. Actions matter. They impact everyone and everything around us. They have the power to help or harm. The central question for Christians,…
‘Do you mean vote for the murder babies crowd?’
Last week I shared to Facebook a Washington Post story titled “White House directs federal agencies to cancel race-related training sessions it calls ‘un-American propaganda.’” I prefaced it with this: “At all levels of American society, we are confronted with…
What I learned about voter suppression while sitting in the Quiet Chair as a child
Summer visits to my grandmother’s farm included accompanying her to work decades before the Take Your Daughter to Work Day evolved. Her 25-plus-year career as the registrar of voters in a Louisiana parish populated by struggling farmers spanned the Jim…
Four ways to recognize a bully in your church
It was five minutes before worship, and I was greeting people at the sanctuary entrance. The contemporary service was about to begin when a gentleman who usually frequented our traditional service came through the door. After seeing the stage (drums…
Enneagram is a method to name our motives and choose new habits
Facing a freezing winter morning, a red-hot question began burning inside me. Some 30 community leaders were gathered to spend a day under the wisdom of Suzanne Stabile. She was teaching a boutique Enneagram workshop in Greenwich, Conn., hosted by…
Learning the mixed metaphors of grief, a primary color
“Your father has had a stroke. We are on our way to the hospital.” The text message came from my mother, just as I was finishing a worship service at a youth camp in the mountains of Arkansas. The next…
Oregon is burning while most white Christians deny climate science
The smoke permeates everything. Even with every door and window closed tight. The whole house smells like smoke. This week, Oregon has erupted in wildfires. Nearly a million acres are burning, and unusual winds from the east have blown the…
Reflecting on the effects of 9/11 and the disarray of America foreign policy
Nineteen years ago tomorrow, terrorists directed by Osama bin Laden successfully orchestrated an unforgettable attack that defined the next decade of American life. Hijacking four commercial jets, terrorists flew two into the World Trade Center towers and one into the…
A walking guide to praying in your home
I was reminded of a prayer practice when I read our pastor’s plea for “purposeful prayer for a world that is very much in need of God’s healing.” As the California fires continue destroying homes and lives, 2020’s disastrous news…