I was 24 and living in Mill Valley, Calif., when I first encountered Ash Wednesday. The Christian liturgical calendar had figured not much at all in my Southern Baptist experience to that point. But one February morning in 1983, spurred…
Evangelism is more than confrontation
One of my long-term church friends and I have friendly banter about my use of words and phrases that are probably more complicated than they need to be. Regularly, Lane and I have friendly conversations about the use of complex…
The challenge of Chreasters in congregations
On Christmas Eve in my church I looked to my left and saw a Chreaster family sitting in the next section of pews. Although the service was crowded, I hoped that I could arrange to greet them at the conclusion…
Don’t overlook the season of Epiphany
In November 2011 I had the privilege of hearing N.T. Wright speak. His lecture title was, “How God Became King.” It’s been over a year since that day and it still sits as one of the more profound moments in…
Remembering our ‘rememberable’ baptisms
Many churches celebrate the feast of the Baptism of the Lord on the Sunday following Epiphany (January 6). Since Epiphany falls on Sunday in 2013, this year the Baptism of the Lord is celebrated on January 13. This feast is…
Perspectives on immigration – the influence of religion
As a native of Florida, there is a certain pride and frustration present in a bumper-sticker message we natives desire to send to the many seasonal residents of the sunshine state. The message is simple and straight-forward, “Welcome to Florida,…
Three ways to spend Christmas book money
In 1500 Dutch humanist and theologian Desiderius Erasmus wrote to a friend, “When I get a little money I buy books; and if any is left I buy food and clothes.” Thanks to gift cards from Amazon or Barnes and…
Lessons From Stone Mountain
It all started with my teeth. A couple of years ago I was reclining in the chair of my dentist, Dr. Uetsuki, waiting for the nitrous oxide to kick in. “Are you doing anything special for New Year’s?” he asked…
Legacy
As the president of the United States enters into his second term, there is much discussion among the “talking heads” about legacy. What will President Obama seek to do that will assure that he is remembered in the years to…
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…
What’s Cyrus have to do with Advent?
As the semester comes to a close for me, I am able to do a bit of reflecting on the work I’ve done and what I’ve read. One line from Xenophon’s Cyropaedia in particular stood out to me: For I…
Life, love and Elmer’s glue
I’ll confess, I didn’t hear the Christmas tree come crashing down in the middle of the night. I vaguely remember my husband asking me if I heard dishes shattering. Just another bizarre dream, I thought. No thief in the night…