There’s a word in Swahili that I resonate with: vumilia. It basically means “persevere.”But the way my dad used to translate it is, keep on keeping on feels a little different than “just hang in there.” Kuvumulia, as an action, is less about barely making it through, and more about a steady,… Continue reading
This Lent, I’ve been reflecting on the Gospel stories where God encounters people in wilderness places—those in-between spaces where something new has not yet fully emerged. As I consider both my own wilderness seasons and the one the church seems to be navigating, I’m trying to resist the instinct to… Continue reading
And in that space, Jesus expands his imagination: God’s love is not narrow or conditional. It is wide. It is generous. It is for the world. We often interpret in-between seasons as examinations. Prove your faith.Prove your devotion.Prove you’re growing. But Lent is less about proving something and more about… Continue reading
Ash Wednesday (and sermon prepping) brings me back to the wilderness. Each year, Lent begins with an invitation into the wilderness — in the reminder that we are dust and with a reflection on the story of Jesus being led by the Spirit into the desert. Jesus’ experience in the… Continue reading
To the casual observer, the yellow dish on my shelf does not mean much. It is handmade. Simple. Sun-warmed in color. The kind of thing you might pass in a thrift store without a second thought. It was mine once.Then I gave it to my friend Nicole.And after she was… Continue reading
It feels like in so many aspects of public life, locusts are swarming. But what if that’s not the end of the story? “You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied and praise the name of the Lord your God, who has dealt wondrously with you.And my people shall never again be put to… Continue reading
I recently participated in a walk for Alzheimer’s, which not only gave me an opportunity to do something in memory of my dad, but also modelled some things I think we could be reminded about in the church. Here are some of those reminders: An annual fundraising walk for the… Continue reading
The drive from my mom’s house to the memory care unit where my dad lives is becoming familiar. Past the thrift store I keep meaning to stop in to browse. Around the corner and up the hill, and then right at the light by the rehab center. When my parents moved… Continue reading
In the response to criticism about who he’s spending time with, [Jesus] begins by telling stories about people who deeply value that which is in their care. He begins with relationship that has nothing to do with the achievement the thing that gets found. Lent 4C (Luke 15:11b-32) I read a… Continue reading
A creative writing engagement with the parable of the lost son The day started like most days—I got up earlier than others in my household to get the water boiling. Boiling water. It seemed like I was constantly boiling water. Water for the kids to bathe. Water to wash clothes…. Continue reading