All the time, I’m sitting with people and with God and I’m turning from looking at the people to looking at God. And in my mind’s eye I have my arm around their shoulder. And sometimes in real life I take their hand. And I start to talk to God. And I say, “ah God.” […]

“Name one amazing thing that has happened recently in your congregation.” That was the assignment the facilitator gave to the gathering of people from congregations across the region. The day-long workshop had just started. She gave people just three or four minutes to think. And then she invited people to speak. In a room of […]

Advent started this weekend. Everyone is all excited about Advent calendars, Advent wreaths, Saint John of the Mall. Most of us don’t think about another historic element of Advent: fasting. Fasting is an odd thing to think about during a month that includes Christmas baking, Christmas parties, Christmas candy, and the return of Chex mix. […]

I was cleaning up some files. I found this set of questions and sample answers. It turns out I published them almost a decade ago. Sometime after I published the list, I did some work to offer sample answers from the writings of people in the New Testament, but I never shared it. I think […]

I wrote to a colleague a day before a meeting. I had committed to do an optional project. I was reflecting on how I could squeeze the work in. I started typing. “I do have a new word for you,” I said. “No.” We often offer each other new words. Prolegomenon. Anacrusis. Usually they are simply […]