I love the idea that God cares about the fall of the sparrow. It’s one of those passages of scripture that is pure poetry. As He reminds His disciples they have no reason to fear, Jesus says, “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father” (Matthew […]
The Stories I Rub Shoulders With – New Post at Everyday Liturgy
I have a 1938 edition of Webster’s Students Dictionary: Upper School Levels on my shelf. It’s my go-to resource for the definitions of words I find in old books. Some of them are words we still have today, but so often their connotation has changed. Take “charity” for instance. Today, the first definition most people would think of is an organization […]
The Race That Knows Joseph
“They’re our kind of people,” Julie said. It’s the sort of phrase that could be cruel. It could be unkind, exclusive, evasive. But the way she used it, it was none of those things. “Couple on Two Benches” George Segal Source: Sculpture.org She was referring to what Anne Shirley, as a child, called “Kindred Spirits.” Later, when she grew up, […]
Hopkins, Kingfishers, and Identity
Photograph by Charlie Hamilton James Source: http://dailym.ai/14dMwTJ As kingfishers catch fire, dragonflies draw flame; As tumbled over rim in roundy wells Stones ring; like each tucked string tells, each hung bell’s Bow swung finds tongue to fling out broad its name; Each mortal thing does one thing and the same: Deals out that being indoors each one dwells; Selves — goes […]
Leaping
In less than two months, I will not be employed full time. It’s a slightly terrifying idea, but a step I’ve seen the Lord clearing the way for over and over as I’ve walked forward. I talked with a friend about it a few months ago. I said something like, “I’m going to take a leap and leave this job […]
Bent Branches, Straight Baselines
It’s been just over a month now since spring began – slowly this year in Philly – coming at us in fits and starts. I think it has actually arrived now, though there are still one or two trees that are only just leafing out. But the azaleas and the dogwoods have bloomed, so I think it’s really spring. This […]
Radio Silence
I’m planning on going dark on social media over the next day or so. Partly, it’s for my own sanity; once in a while, I just need a cleanse. Need to stop being bombarded by the constant noise of online interaction. I love it – don’t get me wrong. My extrovert comes out in full force on social media; likes […]
When Characters Come Calling
I met a boy the other day. His name is Peter. He’s about 9 years old. He has a sister named Sam, and a mom and dad. He’s cautious, smart, quiet, wise. He reminds me a lot of my nephew. He loves science and he’s going to discover the great world of bugs this summer. He will learn that life […]
Nothing is Wasted: Redux
Over a year ago, I posted the lyrics to Jason Gray’s song “Nothing is Wasted” on this blog. I wrote: This has become a theme of my week – not because I’m going through anything particular, but simply the truth of it – and its applicability to past and future events. Its been, for lack of a more somber word, […]
I Write Stories During Sermons
A couple of weeks ago my friend Thomas posted a link on his blog to an article he’d written for SermonCentral.com. The title was, “You Preach, I’ll Doodle.” It is a great article that looks at preaching in light of varied learning styles and multiple intelligences. I thought it was good enough to share. I did so, tweeting it with […]