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May 2021

May 18, 2021

Twelve Years Ago, My Life Changed–here’s why

Exactly twelve years ago today, I headed home from a four-month sabbatical as a Resident...

May 10, 2021

Christians Should Pay Less Attention to Their Souls, and More Attention to Their Bodies

“What’s the difference between chili con carne and chili con queso?” I ask my freshman...

May 09, 2021

A Mothers Day Reflection: Her Children Rise Up and Call Her Blessed

I once learned something interesting about giraffes from one of my colleagues. He was lecturing...

April 2021

April 27, 2021

So You Want to Be a Good Person?

A Polish Franciscan priest. A Lutheran pastor and theologian. A French, Jewish social activist attracted...

January 2021

January 21, 2021

The Best of 2020 #3: Why are Christians So Angry and Fearful?

Coming in at #3 in my "Best of 2020" blog post lineup is "Why are...

January 10, 2021

When Selective Amnesia is a Good Thing

Tolerance, acceptance, and embracing difference--even in the face of established tradition and clear procedures--has been...

January 01, 2021

It’s a New Year. Thank God.

There are few things that everyone can agree on these days, but here's one: 2020...

December 2020

December 23, 2020

Grace and Peace Be with You

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

December 12, 2020

Beauty for Ashes: Accepting the Call of Advent

Two weeks ago, I gave the First Sunday of Advent sermon at Trinity Episcopal Church...

December 03, 2020

Will Goodness Become Cool?

As President-elect Biden rolls out his National Security choices, his economic strategy team, his communications...

November 2020

November 01, 2020

Being a Person Rather than a Saint

Today is “All Saints Day. I come from a hardcore Protestant world, a world in which...

October 2020

October 22, 2020

“Political Jesus”: Yes, those words belong together

In a recent interview, Union Theological Seminary president Serene Jones said that "If you really...

October 12, 2020

All Things are Become New: A reminder of why teaching is the best profession of all

I realized this morning that exactly seven years ago, the beautiful humanities building on our...

August 2020

August 16, 2020

What if my “Best Self” isn’t that Good?

My first teaching position was at a small university in Memphis. My department was the...

July 2020

July 26, 2020

Why are Christians So Angry and Fearful?

I am currently working my way through Kristin Kobes Du Mez’s brand new book Jesus...

July 12, 2020

The Christian Faith in One Sentence

This morning I have the privilege of giving the sermon at Trinity Episcopal Church in...

May 2020

May 05, 2020

Coronavirus Seclusion and “Amazing Grace”

In the interdisciplinary program I teach in and used to direct, the first semester faculty...

March 2020

March 22, 2020

“Get Out of My Face”: A tribute to my oldest son on his birthday

Today is my oldest son Caleb’s 41st birthday. He wears it well. When my daughter-in-law...

January 2020

January 16, 2020

Best of 2019 #3: When Christianity Becomes an Angry and Fearful Faith

Last June, I used essays by Michael Gerson and Marilynne Robinson to explore what happens...

January 06, 2020

An Epiphany in Real Time

Yesterday was the Feast of the Epiphany, the first day of the liturgical season that...

December 2019

December 31, 2019

The Best and the Worst: My New Year’s Hope for 2020

There are eight to ten movies that Jeanne and I watch religiously during the Christmas...

December 19, 2019

I Will Bring You Home

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

December 15, 2019

What May We Hope For?

Advent is the liturgical season that is most meaningful to me. I first encountered the...

November 2019

November 27, 2019

My Advent Wish: Peace Be To You

Advent begins this coming Sunday. I was raised in a version of Christianity that had...

September 2019

September 08, 2019

Reason Touched By Grace: Getting Faith and Intellect on the Same Page

A few days ago, Pete Buttigeig, mayor of South Bend and candidate for the Democratic...

August 2019

August 25, 2019

Remembering One of my Best Friends (and celebrating seven years of blogging)

This week marks seven years since I, with trepidation, misgivings and a certain amount of...

August 18, 2019

Finding the Light

We are not simply made by God—we are made of God  Julian of Norwich Toward the end of a...

July 2019

July 13, 2019

You mean THOSE people are my neighbors???

Not long ago, Jeanne and I saw “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”, the documentary about...

June 2019

June 03, 2019

When Christianity Becomes an Angry and Fearful Faith

At its best, faith is the overflow of gratitude, the attempt to live as if...

May 2019

May 30, 2019

Happiness is Overrated, but Learning to Live Well is Not

It is the happy life that asks more of us than we realize we have...

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