News

Reinvention!
Nov. 17, 2013

Our biblical texts for today are so full of good news!  “Really?” you might be thinking, “that Luke passage sounds pretty dire.”  But truly – such wonderful news is here:  although life presents the worst challenges, ones that mangle our bodies, minds, and souls, we are always resting in the loving palm of God’s hand.  Through the challenges we face, God reinvents us,...

Along the Road
Nov. 3, 2013

I have the impression - perhaps you do too - that there is a greatly heightened emphasis in our culture now on living well.  (Or, maybe I am simply more attuned to the current fads in an ever-present emphasis on self-improvement and quality of life.)  It does seem that, for those of us who do not have to struggle to live, a significant priority is on living well.  For growing numbers...

Unchained
Oct. 13, 2013

“I would write,” someone said to me recently.  “I would write if I didn’t have such challenges with my work – such preoccupations.  I could find the time to do creative writing if only my job didn’t present one issue after another, demanding my attention, my time, and whatever I have left of creativity.”  I imagine that many of us can resonate with this sentiment, even...

Servants at the Banquet
Oct. 6, 2013

Twenty-five years ago this fall, I started seminary.  I wasn’t exactly sure why I was going – I couldn’t point to a particular professional path that would come from it.  I only knew that it was the right next step in my life.  I also felt certain that I was not “ordain-able” material – that I would not become a minister.  I was sure that I wasn’t a good enough person,...

Selling Out
Sept. 22, 2013

I attended a dinner party a few nights ago with a few couples from the neighborhood where I live in Philadelphia.  One of the people there is a veteran of the Vietnam War (as is my father-in-law).  He was very interested to hear of my own experiences of Vietnam, which I visited in 2005, leading a student group as I do every summer to some other country.  He has not been back since...

For What We Will Be Known
Sept. 8, 2013

I just got back from a wonderful three-week trip with students to Thailand and Burma.  There, we joined in with young faith-based activists from all over South and Southeast Asia who were being trained in skills that would enhance their work – empowerment through deep listening, interfaith dialogue for peace building, faith and social analysis, consumerism and faith, faithful resistance...