Later today I'm headed to Holy Cross Abbey for a week of silence. The guesthouse closed to the public in March and reopened at half capacity just two weeks ago -- so I'm taking a silent retreat originally scheduled for late April. I began doing monastic retreats in 2004 so they're part of my … [Read more...] about Even Silence Is Different During this Pandemic
Pandemic Cleaning: Pie Safe Edition
There are so many things we can’t control right now, many of them truly awful: the progression of the virus, the upcoming election, the lack of justice for people of color. Last week I decided to take matters into my own hands with some pandemic cleaning. I cleaned out my pie safe. (Dare I admit … [Read more...] about Pandemic Cleaning: Pie Safe Edition
A Wrong Number — a Gift in Dark Times
NOTE: I sent this story to my subscribers, along with some exclusive content. To join the list, sign up below! I send emails once a month. Last night I was reading about the Breonna Taylor verdict when my phone rang. Since the number was unknown, I let it go to voicemail. I don’t have a lot of … [Read more...] about A Wrong Number — a Gift in Dark Times
CCCU Interview with Morgan Feddes
Read my conversation with Morgan Feddes, an editor at CCCU's Advance Magazine. If you came here from that interview, looking for your free copy of THE #METOO RECKONING, welcome! Who doesn't love a free book? Click here for the deal. … [Read more...] about CCCU Interview with Morgan Feddes
Podcast — Can I Say This at Church? with Seth Price
I was a guest on Seth Price's podcast -- "Can I Say This at Church" -- last month. We had a lively discussion about the #MeToo movement and faith late one evening. The episode aired July 27, 2020. I hope you'll give it a listen and let me know what strikes you. You can also read the transcript … [Read more...] about Podcast — Can I Say This at Church? with Seth Price
Holy Disunity, by Layton Williams, a book review
The subtitle of Holy Disunity is "How What Separates Us Can Save Us." The words separate and save are not often paired. The author, Layton Williams, who is young and identifies as queer, begins her book with this sentence: "I have spent my entire life deeply loving people with whom I will never … [Read more...] about Holy Disunity, by Layton Williams, a book review
Survivor Care: What Religious Professionals Need to Know About Healing Trauma, a book review
I reviewed Christy's Sims book "Survivor Care: What Religious Professionals Need to Know About Healing Trauma" for the Christian Century. Read the review here. You can order Survivor Care here. (an Amazon affiliate link.) … [Read more...] about Survivor Care: What Religious Professionals Need to Know About Healing Trauma, a book review
“Happy Accidents” Thank you, Bob Ross!
How do you nourish your creativity? It's an important question and too rarely asked. The transactional world has very little interest in our creativity. It's up to us to cultivate the part of us that longs to create something new, even if that something has very little utilitarian value. I'm … [Read more...] about “Happy Accidents” Thank you, Bob Ross!
Red State Christians: Understanding the Voters Who Elected Donald Trump, by Angela Decker, a book review
If you want something readable and thought-provoking about how and why religiously-affiliated voters elected our divisive president, this is a book for you. The author, pastor and journalist Angela Denker, shows that while Trump supporters in collective mass have changed our political world, their … [Read more...] about Red State Christians: Understanding the Voters Who Elected Donald Trump, by Angela Decker, a book review
DOE, poems of innocence, atrocity, and other female concerns
I'm so thrilled to tell you about a new book of poetry by my good friend, Susan Baller-Shepard. The title is simply: DOE. Many of Susan's poems feature the nature world, which she loves, but they explore and reveal the human experience, from a uniquely female lens. Susan is a pastor and religion … [Read more...] about DOE, poems of innocence, atrocity, and other female concerns
Ponies & Renewal
If, like me, you read "Misty of Chincoteague" as a child, you may have a soft spot for the famous wild ponies who live on the barrier islands off the Virginia shore. This week, while I was on a clergy retreat in Ocean City, Maryland, I visited Assateague Island. The ponies were on my mind … [Read more...] about Ponies & Renewal
Inspired by Eugene Peterson
Eugene Peterson has gone to glory. He was an inspiration to me, like so many others. I loved his work on the Psalms of Ascent, "A Long Obedience." In 2010 I heard him speak at a Festival of Faith & Writing -- he inspired me to continue the pursuit of both pastoral work and ministry as two … [Read more...] about Inspired by Eugene Peterson