Fear and Its Friends: A Poem for Lent 1
Mark
Wake Up!
Wake up, Sweet Jesus! Wake up! We are perishing. Do you not care? I cry out these words when I hear of senseless, violent death …When a transperson is murdered or takes their own life …When a young man with a gun kills nine who were engaged in Bible study and prayer …When boats filled … Read More
Holy Week Provokes Deep Thoughts
Fear and faith aren’t something we like to put in the same sentence these days. We don’t like to think of God’s presence or actions as something to be afraid of. We don’t like to focus on things like “The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom…”. Nor do we dwell on the fact … Read More
Covenant Again
Covenant An invitation to join in the eternal dance, to wrap our lives with sacred song, to be still and known and loved Everlasting, unbreakable, irreversible no matter what we do or don’t do, a gift offered to the whole of Creation All any of us has to do is accept – accept the love, … Read More
Litany of Confession
Have we not known? Have we not heard? Has it not been told to us from the beginning? Even though we know, we have heard, and we have been told, it is so hard to remember that God is the creator of all that is. We cling so desperately to our thoughts, our ways, our … Read More
There’s No Wrong Way to Do the Right Thing
Prayer is as natural as breathing for some people and a huge mystery to others. I find it fascinating that the lectionary puts Hannah’s story with predictions about the end of the world. Hannah went to pour out her broken heart to God and Eli thought she was drunk. Later, after her prayers are answered, … Read More
A Post-Election Prayer
Come, let us unite in prayer for the church throughout the world. (silence or a time for people to quietly give voice to their concerns) Gracious God, many voices cry out to you, and you hear us all. Grant us the grace and wisdom to honor and celebrate all who gather at your table. O … Read More
Armageddon or Just Election Season?
At least once a week I participate in a conversation about the end of the world. For anyone who does not know, I am a chaplain at a state psychiatric hospital, and the conversation is common. Usually, my part is simply to listen as a patient tells me the clear signs that God is bringing … Read More
Does Superman play Tetris?
This election stuff is getting to me. I find myself turning off the radio, avoiding television, and skipping over a lot of FB posts. I have known for many months which candidates are going to get my vote and I am done with the political propaganda. Unfortunately, some things still get through like Romney’s promise … Read More
Sin, Salvation, and Servitude
The Bible tells us far more about what it means to be human than what it means to be God. We learn from Job that we want answers. We aren’t particularly thrilled with coming up against our limits. This hasn’t changed much since Job’s time.We wantnt to know why things happen the way they do. We … Read More