The Miracle of Change
As I begin my last final paper for Duke, it is beginning to feel real that things are changing. My time as a divinity school student is coming to an end.
Holy Week And Us
About two years ago at this time, in April of 2020, I started thinking about what it means when life begins to feel like Holy Saturday. In other words, the time when life feels like grief and suffering.
How Much Longer?
I remember riding down the road as a kid and wondering how much longer we could possibly be in the car. I wanted to get out and move my legs.
Finish Strong
When I was in high school my youth minister Andy had a two-word phrase that our whole youth group knew well. He reserved this phrase for the very last day of our week-long spring break and summer mission trips…
A Failure At Lent
I did not grow up really observing lent, we didn’t get ashes or give up anything. This year, I decided to try to fully participate, and y'all, I failed. I am back to my habits!
The Legacy of Saint Patrick
Each year, right in the middle of the grief and solemnity of the Lenten season, St. Patrick’s Day serves as a disruption. A day about all things green, Irish, festive, and fun.
Cheeseburgers for Lent
This past Sunday, I briefly recounted the history of Lent. Lent started out as a 2-3 day rigid fast. Over time, the practice has lengthened and broadened.
Back to Eden
For years, Lent, to me, was a second chance at my new year’s resolutions which had generally been long abandoned. Having grown up in the Baptist church, not much had been taught about Lent - I only knew that some people decided to give up eating chocolate for a little while.
Something Beautiful
Spring is in the air- we can feel the weather shift. We can see the hopeful blooms. Change is on the horizon.
Tangible Reminders
Valentine’s Day might have passed, but it is so important that we continue celebrating the love in our lives every day. On Sunday during the children’s message, we talked about how God created love, shows us love, and is love.
The Backyard Wedding
A wedding is a special occasion. Whether in a cathedral or a backyard, a country church or an urban art gallery, a wedding is a special occasion. Whether the couple spends $100 or $50,000, a wedding is a special occasion.
Saint Valentine - the man, the myth, the legend
What do engaged couples, beekeepers, epilepsy, fainting, marriage, plague, and traveling have in common? All of these things share a patron saint, of course - St. Valentine!
New Year Blues
According to the Revised Common lectionary, one of the texts for this week is 1 Corinthians 13:1-13: If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal…
So Much Can Happen In A Year
On New Year’s Day in 2019 I posted a picture to my social media with a (long) caption that read: “I don’t know about you, but New Years tends to bring a little bit of anxiety for me. So much can happen in a year…”
Courage to Hope
I am a full-on New Years sucker. I am the resolution-making Queen, the patron saint of new beginnings, do-overs, and fresh starts. I love New Years - I have never missed a midnight ball-drop in all of my teenage or adult years.
Meditations on Advent
Twas the days before Christmas and all through my apartment, every creature was stirring, especially the dog. No decorations in sight, Amazon and Etsy packages stacked up high, one could say that unprepared for Christmas was I.
God’s Gratuitous Gift
I only have two presents left to buy this Christmas, but I’ve been struggling to find the perfect gift for my family members. I could buy them a sweater or book (because no one can have enough sweaters or books) but is that what they really want or need?
Christmas Past
One year I received a pair of rollerblades which I wore inside all day, rolling through the house with a loud whir that I know now must have driven my Mom crazy. Another year, I woke on Christmas morning to find a set of inflatable furniture…