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December 2018

December 02, 2018

Advent and the Blessing of Being Human

Each Advent for the past eight years, I have had the privilege of giving a...

October 2018

October 31, 2018

Halloween Jesus or Fire-Insurance Policy Jesus?

One Sunday, toward the end of a particularly lively and deep seminar with my “Living...

September 2018

September 30, 2018

Putting Out the Welcome Mat: Who is Welcome at Your Place of Worship?

In her wonderful book Take This Bread, Sara Miles describes a conversation she had with...

September 18, 2018

Is it THE truth, or is it MY truth?

Ian McEwan's The Children Act is the story of Fiona Maye, an experienced and highly respected family...

September 04, 2018

Whatever Prayer Is For, It Isn’t That

A week ago, the small Episcopal church that I frequently attend moved its morning services...

August 2018

August 09, 2018

To Live In Safety and Without Fear

Every one shall sit in safety under his own vine and fig-tree, and there shall...

July 2018

July 26, 2018

The Never-Ending Prayer

As I do initial work on my new book on prayer (contract now signed!), I...

May 2018

May 30, 2018

“America First” is a Theological Heresy

Memorial Day week is a time for solemn remembrance. It also tends to be a...

May 08, 2018

The Lord Be With You . . .

What is the best way to get the attention of a bunch of Episcopalians? I...

May 03, 2018

One Nation, Under God?

I was invited earlier this week by an online publication that I write for occasionally...

March 2018

March 15, 2018

The Christian Faith In a Nutshell

Sports fans old enough to remember the 70s and 80s will recall that a regular...

February 2018

February 20, 2018

Beauty for Ashes, or Why Lent is a Bad Idea

One sunny morning in September 1983, when I was struggling in my late twenties with...

February 13, 2018

Lent is for Lovers

This year, for the first time since 1945, Ash Wednesday and Valentine's Day fall on...

January 2018

January 15, 2018

A S**thole Town Like Nazareth

My father was a Baptist minister who was a voracious and eclectic reader. Often his...

January 09, 2018

Six Flags Over Jesus

My friend Michael lives with his family in Florida. That in itself makes me wonder...

November 2017

November 16, 2017

Spiritual Punctuation

In my life-long spiritual journey, the decade of my twenties was the charismatic decade. No,...

October 2017

October 26, 2017

Wherever You Go

The 8:00 show at church is for early morning people and those who prefer silence...

October 24, 2017

Ordinary Miracles

Every year, between Pentecost and the Sunday after Thanksgiving, the lectionary takes us through week...

September 2017

September 27, 2017

Naming Our Demons

My youngest son was a vet tech for a number of years and had many...

September 21, 2017

Flesh and Blood

What is bothering me incessantly is the question of what Christianity really is, or indeed...

September 03, 2017

Are You More Christian Than I Am?

If we remembered that water takes its color from the vessel containing it, we would...

July 2017

July 07, 2017

An Exploding Heart

Last fall I had the opportunity to give the sermon on stewardship Sunday at my...

June 2017

June 21, 2017

To Bigotry No Sanction, To Persecution No Assistance

Two microbreweries, an historic synagogue, and powerful words from George Washington. Not bad for a...

April 2017

April 09, 2017

To Die For

What is bothering me incessantly is the question of what Christianity really is, or indeed...

March 2017

March 06, 2017

Nature and Nature’s God

What is the difference between a cathedral and a physics lab? Are they not both...

December 2016

December 07, 2016

Being a Fanatic

Both the men's and women's basketball teams are off to great starts, just as the...

October 2016

October 12, 2016

October Musings

Autumn is my favorite season of the year, and October is my favorite month. This...

August 2016

August 31, 2016

The Joyful Owl

Just about seven years ago, on a beautiful summer morning very similar to the ones we...

July 2016

July 01, 2016

Even Introverts Get Lonely

One of the most important reasons that Jeanne and I have been able to stay...

April 2016

April 23, 2016

An Introspective Day

In our three years in Milwaukee, our first years together as a married couple trying...

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