It is a curious exercise to consider the humanity of Jesus– dependent social hobbled by the burdens of everyday life suffering from compassion fatigue. Little wonder that he craved camaraderie in the school of hardship. Lessons in the mathematics of poverty and despair the rhetoric of injustice the geography of resilience. Stories that stayed with him trained him to endure the pain and keep a … Continue reading Friends
The wine spills into my body through lie-stained lips enters my bloodstream mingles with the givenness of my blood obediently nourishes cell and soul. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Meanwhile I carry on like an ignorant executioner who occasionally wonders how he came to do this work. Continue reading Eucharist II
I am sailing along the asphalt stream, over the rolling hills, through the softness of green that is Iowa in summer. I want to run my hands across the tassel fur, over the nappy trees, wade in the bean rows to penetrate their texture, sink into the wonder. I pass by, but I am cleansed. Continue reading Summer 2019
You can stand in the river. Feel it caress and flow away from you. Mourn its indifference, its constant leave-taking. You can ride the river. Rest in your buoyancy. Enter the flow caressing and baptizing whatever is encountered. Trust the wisdom of its deep energy as it carries you on its course. Continue reading Flow
“Possum and Stump.” Sounds like a name for a bluegrass band. On my walk this morning I walked past a fence that used to be obscured by foliage. A couple of years ago the city decided to cut it all down. In a few cases they were too late. Some of the bushes had grown through the fence, and they couldn’t be removed without taking … Continue reading Possum and Stump
I share the sadness of thousands who were shocked this month at the death of Rachel Held Evans. The experiences she wrote about in the church and beyond the faith of her upbringing resonated deeply with me. I attended all but one of the “Why Christian?” conferences she led with Rev. Nadia Bolz-Weber. I sang traditional hymns alongside a thousand others at those gatherings, with … Continue reading Church, Pie, and Rachel Held Evans
The pain he bore upon the cross was heavy, breaking him and not the scale on which he hung. Its heft was lightened only by the blood that leaked and dropped onto his earth. The soil beneath receiving liquid seed was not newly stained but saturated time and time before by rebels’ hearts spilled out. Their desperation dried and dead now mingled with his love … Continue reading Good Friday 2019: Spillage
At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to [Jesus], “Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.” He said to them, “Go and tell that fox for me, ‘Listen, I am casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my work. Yet today, tomorrow, and the next day I must be on my … Continue reading Tears and Sin
I Three years old, my grandson played happily with the boy next door as I kept vigil with my chair and book, content to be in the autumn air. He caught sight of me, lighting up with joy, ran to me as always, eager for embrace and kiss, but then I watched—I’m a witness! Delight fell away. He moderated himself, arriving nonchalant. Come as a … Continue reading Glory
Some of my favorite people are farmers. They are practical, resilient, smart, deeply committed to their work, and graced with a sense of humor, if only for longevity’s sake. A few weeks ago a cattle farmer named Russell Christensen died. He was a dedicated father and grandfather, a wise leader in his church and community, a fun-loving storyteller, and a key player in the growth … Continue reading For Russell
saint sinner seeker 