lenten journal
The origin story for Lent, one might say, is Jesus’ venture into the wilderness for forty days. That image rolls off our tongues and out of our sermons as though we know what happened is described by only eleven verses in Matthew’s gospel and thirteen in Luke’s. The
lenten journal
I worked from home today because there wasn’t time to get back from New York and make it to the Maundy Thursday service in Westbrook, where I am interim pastor. I met a friend for coffee and as I was walking home I noticed a crew taking down a
lenten journal
Since I get on the train around 5:30 in the morning, most of us riding into New York use the time to sleep--until the train stops at 125th Street, and then we start to move about. Some get their stuff together but stay seated, and others (like me) stand
lenten journal
Back when we were youth ministers, my friend Burt had a metaphor about relationships (talking to young people about relating to their parents and vice versa) that I have not forgotten. He said building trust was like a savings account: you have to build it up by making small deposits
lenten journal
Some days I can deal with the world and some days I struggle. Tonight is a struggle. Today I read stories about how many states are pushing legislation similar to Florida’s homophobic (in this case, I think we need to redefine homocidal) “don’t say gay” law and another
lenten journal
One of the stories I have repeated often (and I have a lot of stories I have repeated) is that when my father died one of the first things that crossed my mind was to call those I knew whose fathers had died before mine and say, “I’m sorry.
lenten journal
Palm Sunday is a day full of contradictions to me, particularly in the way we observe it as Jesus’ triumphal entry, because I don’t think triumph was a central word in Jesus’ vocabulary. As I read the story again this year, preparing to preach, I saw something I had
lenten journal
play ball I served a church outside of Boston back when a curse was still a curse and every year before Opening Day Wally would stand and read aloud Time, like an ever-rolling stream, Bears all its sons away; They fly forgotten, as a dream Dies at the opening day.
lenten journal
it’s not your fault a friend who grew up in an abusive home recalls a moment in a mall store when she was young and her mother was berating her and a stranger knelt down and looked her in the eye “this is not your fault” she said and
lenten journal
I have three tattoos. The first one is the simplest: a semi-colon. It rests on the front side of my right arm. When I learned about Project Semi-Colon and the idea that depression is not the end of the sentence, I punctuated my life with there mark. The third one
lenten journal
vigil what difference does it make if we all stand still together or fill up a room to hear others tell stories of love and loss one woman in town is baking Ukrainian bread to raise money to help refugees and hospitals one loaf at a time how can a
lenten journal
The way the story unfolds in John’s gospel, I think the disciples got increasingly nervous every time Jesus went to Jerusalem because each trip seemed to up the ante, as far as those in power were concerned. As long as he stayed in Galilee, the crowds didn’t matter