Hanging ‘Shame’ Out to Dry
Shame Walks Among Us
SHAME WALKS AMONG US Who let you out of the pit and clothed you as real, No longer a concept or figment of imagination but a thing empowered, dressed to kill? I've met you before, but where? Barging through the front door, Reclining and heckling, boots on the table Flicking butts to the carpet, blowing... Continue Reading →
When God Says Hineni
Worship I found the following statement from the preface in The Open Sanctuary, by author Nicholas J. Moore to be reassuring: "[A]ll this reading, thinking, and writing has been an imperfect offering of worship to Christ, our high priest, through whom “we gaze into the heights of the heavens” (1 Clem 36:2 LCL).""The Open Sanctuary,... Continue Reading →
Redeeming Tchotchkes
What do you see? It’s that time of year again when Christmas-themed books, advent devotionals, crèches of all sizes, greeting cards, and oodles of holiday décor arrive daily via UPS and FedEx where I work. These are quickly inventoried and hidden out of sight. We wait for the holiday spirit – or shopping fever –... Continue Reading →
Ignorance and Forgiveness (Luke 23:34a)
Dreams or Visions? Our Sunday School class has been reading through Genesis one chapter at a time. Dreams and visions are frequently mentioned. Some mornings we spend lots of time trying to decipher the difference between the two. It’s uncomfortable for us to think God might speak to us in dreams or visions today. This... Continue Reading →
Unnaturally Born: My First Breath
During a writing session today we were asked to reflect upon our breathing. Often we are shallow breathers, neglecting to breath deeply. Bent over our desks for long periods of time intent on our working, studying, or writing often cause us to neglect this most essential component of our existence. Without oxygen we cease to... Continue Reading →
My Disabled Self & Stories We Tell (Pt 2)
In part one of My Disabled Self I came to realize that how we think, converse, and believe about heaven and disability reveals more about our own heart in the present than it does of any future existence for ourselves or those we love who are profoundly disabled. So, while I cannot say with absolute... Continue Reading →
“No Ordinary Mother” – Luke 2:34-35
Photo credit: Michelangelo's Pietà in St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. I've been working through the Gospel of Luke, reading and translating from the Greek into English. It is a slow and difficult process. Getting this close to the text allows me to see things that are not easily seen when reading English translations. On the Holy Saturday, as... Continue Reading →
A Mothering God & Ethics of Care
Is it possible to view God as a mother who fathers or a father who mothers? Is mothering a task only women participate in? Is fathering a task only for men? As a mother of four, I determined not to threaten my children with these words: "You just wait until your father comes home!" I... Continue Reading →
My Disabled Self, Part 1
I spent a good part of 2021-22 attending to the subject of disability theology while processing my life-long experience with my older developmentally-delayed sister who has lived with cerebral palsy from birth. Together we sorted through past memories to compile a short book for her to share with others. Many of those stories are available... Continue Reading →