In his classic work Why I Am a Christian, the late Anglican theologian John Stott prophetically penned gloomy words that, at the time, mostly fell on deaf ears. “The technocratic society, which diminishes and even destroys transcendence and significance,” Stott…
A daughter’s tribute — 50 years later
My brother was 15 and I was 18 when our father died Dec. 4, 1971 — 20 days short of his 46th birthday. Initially it was thought he died of a heart attack; he’d been sick all that previous year….
When walking with the grieving, carry the umbrella
“Come to me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls….
Something doesn’t add up about the two Kentucky seminaries suing the federal government over vaccine mandates
“Pandemics unmask who we really are — our morals, our values, our ethics, our humanity. They test us in ways nothing else can.” — Sanjay Gupta, M.D., World War C, 2021 In a tutorial for doctor of ministry students at…
On All Saints Day and Thanksgiving: ‘Hey, … me too!’
“Hey, me too.” That’s what a beloved church member said to me as we were leaving the sanctuary last Sunday after our All Saints Sunday observance. Having him say those words stopped me in my tracks. They made me feel…
‘Marker events’ leave scars whether visible or not, psychologist explains
Marker events — especially the scary ones like the assassination of John F. Kennedy, 9-11 and Hurricane Ida — always leave some form of an emotional scar, even in those who weren’t physically present for the trauma, according to clinical…
I’m a white pastor, learning from Black Christians about grief without privilege
At twilight, a few hundred community members gathered in the church parking lot for a prayer vigil. Just a few days before, a senseless incident of road rage cast our city into grief. A young mother was driving home late…
Regathering for worship, processing our pain and remembering our baptism
As a pastor who is trained in both social work and ministry, I have been thinking about how to offer collective pastoral care to my congregation as we process the pandemic together. The COVID-19 pandemic has been a difficult season…
Remembering Robin Williams and wishing we could talk openly about suicide
This week, Robin Williams was trending on Twitter. He died by suicide in August 2014, five months after my late husband died the same way. Side note: When someone takes their own life, the correct verbiage is to say they…