They moved from enslavement to liberation
through a parted sea
across a wilderness
and a river.
Miram played her timbrel then.
They packed up what they could carry
while the blood of lambs dried on lintels
and God passed over.
Miram placed her timbrel then.
The failure to recognize the obvious
always catches me by surprise.
Long, long ago Samuel told the people of God
that no good could come from the rule of kings.
They insisted on being like all other nations.
And along came the kings
who took their children for soldiers and servants,
their goods and grains for self-serving purposes.
Still, they did not learn.
Spiritual DNA Remembering those who have gone before me in faith honoring those who have died makes a complexity of sorrow and dreams If I could trace my spiritual lineage who would my ancestors be? I know the Irish Catholics would claim more than one Pope, Several priests, and countless nuns, and maybe a … Read More
The Backside of God This season rests heavily upon the earth pressed down on us with waves of sickness made unforgettable by loss of life, of livelihood, of loved ones, of safe harbor driven home by super storms swirling with ever-increasing force and wild fires devouring acre after acre letting scorched and scarred earth speak … Read More
in a Roman stronghold, You asked your first disciples a seemingly simple questionyet You asked them to put their lives on the line for You their answers could be, should be treasonous to the ears of the Empire Who do you say that I am? a worthy question, even now, especially nowwe live in another Empire … Read More
Holy One, you are like no other god—a lesson you have tried to teach us again and again. Though Abraham expected you to need the sacrifice of Isaac, you did not. You ask us to unbind ourselves from the pain-filled destructive ways of old. You ask us to rid ourselves of our ties to racism … Read More
Pandemic. Protests. Uprisings. Fires. Vigils. Agent Provocateurs. Militarized Police. White Supremacy. All of it right here where I live. Part of me has been overwhelmed by it all this week. Part of me is stuck in the horror of watching police officers kill George Floyd. Another part of me is stunned by the numbers of … Read More
Grace in the Wilderness an eagle flies across the sunset skies wings spread in benediction a boy peddles lazily with gas station flowers balanced in his hoodie pocket dogs behind fencing tumble and play pausing to bark as we pass by mostly masked faces hands raised in greeting keep a healthy distance small green leaves … Read More
Jesus Replied (Luke 23:43) Year ends. God reigns whether we notice or not. Promises made long ago remain true – all are loved, all are valued, no one excluded. Advent draws near, calling us to pause and listen, watch, prepare, and begin again. The days are surely coming when all feet everywhere will travel in … Read More
Ever-patient God, Jeremiah’s ancient words stir within me You let truth tumble from his lips down through the ages to land on my restless spirit sour grapes are frequently easier to ingest than the word You would inscribe on my heart this troubling truth awakens desire in me yet do I reach for society’s sour … Read More