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March 2026

March 25, 2026

White Privilege in the Classroom

Today I am starting a unit on race issues in my ethics class. For the...

December 2025

December 07, 2025

Are You the One Who Is to Come?

Fifteen years ago, on the Second Sunday of Advent, I was asked to give the...

November 2025

November 28, 2025

Celebrating Christmas Like a Real American

Today is Black Friday, the unfortunate beginning of the Christmas shopping season. Apparently in service...

December 2024

December 27, 2024

Will we ever fill the hungry with good things?

Tomorrow is the Feast of the Holy Innocents on the liturgical calendar, the day that...

December 24, 2024

Christus Natus Est: Merry Christmas

Christmas movies are a big deal at my house. Jeanne goes for the classics, such...

December 15, 2024

Why Faith Can’t Avoid Being Political

I've been steering away from politics here ever since last month's election and intend to...

June 2024

June 02, 2024

We are Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

We are all patchwork, and so shapeless and diverse in composition that each bit, each...

May 2024

May 19, 2024

The Holy Spirit’s Coming Out Party–A Pentecost Reflection

Two year ago I had the privilege of giving the Pentecost Sunday sermon at the...

December 2023

December 24, 2023

God Made Into Flesh

Grace means suddenly you’re in a different universe from the one where you were stuck,...

December 21, 2023

Getting Real with Mary

For many Christians attuned to the liturgical year, thoughts turn toward Mary during the final...

December 17, 2023

Light is Born of Darkness

During Advent season, John the Baptist gets a lot of play. This makes sense, since...

November 2023

November 28, 2023

Making Christmas Wild Again

Just when you thought you had heard and read it all . . . "If...

November 24, 2023

How to Celebrate the Season Like a Real American

Today is Black Friday, the unfortunate beginning of the Christmas shopping season. Apparently in service...

April 2023

April 09, 2023

When Easter Fades, Where is Jesus to be Found?

God is not an insurance agent. H. G. Wells If you are a college basketball...

January 2023

January 10, 2023

Are You the One?

During both the Advent and the Epiphany liturgical seasons, John the Baptist gets a lot...

January 01, 2023

Hope in Unexpected Form—A New Year’s Day Reflection

Every New Year’s Day for the past decade—the amount of time I have been writing...

December 2022

December 25, 2022

Good People All: Have a Blessed Christmas Day

Good people all, this Christmas time Consider well and bear in mind What our good...

December 18, 2022

A Stepfather with a Questionable Pedigree

In my religious tradition, we didn’t do saints. But we did do Christmas pageants—big time....

November 2022

November 25, 2022

Get Thee Behind Me, Santa!

Today is Black Friday, on my shortlist of candidates for the stupidest day of the...

April 2022

April 15, 2022

Actually, He Died: A Good Friday Meditation

Several Christmas Eves ago, Jeanne, Justin and I were invited to share dinner with a...

December 2021

December 28, 2021

He Has Put Down the Mighty From Their Throne

Today on the liturgical calendar is the Feast of the Holy Innocents, the day that...

December 23, 2021

Merry Christmas: Christus Natus Est

Christmas movies are a big deal at my house. Jeanne goes for the classics, such...

December 17, 2021

“For Unto Us”: An Afternoon with Handel’s Messiah

The soundtrack of my youth is classical music. I was classically trained on the piano...

December 15, 2021

Advent for Dummies–How to do the season

We seek retreats for ourselves in country places, on beaches and mountains . . ....

December 09, 2021

A Cosmic Homecoming

Baptist preacher’s kids get to do some very odd things. I memorized large portions of...

November 2021

November 26, 2021

How to Celebrate Christmas Like a Real American

Today is Black Friday, the unfortunate beginning of the Christmas shopping season. Apparently in service...

November 04, 2021

A Mystery Wrapped in an Enigma

November is a month of transitions. Here in New England, we are squarely in the...

January 2021

January 07, 2021

The Best of 2020 #5: Leaving Jesusland . . . For Good

For the next several Thursdays, I will be reposting my top blog posts of 2020,...

December 2020

December 30, 2020

Am I Old Yet?

A few days before Christmas, Jeanne and I were talking with a friend of hers...

December 27, 2020

A Different Kind of Christmas Story

Because of Covid-19, a less-than-smooth transition from one administration to another, and a general impatience...

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