Monday, December 23 Luke 1:26-38 No Wind at the window (STS 11) https://youtu.be/_AY2lKWCUD8?si=0U9TNpfjKOXarAxr Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” ~Luke 1:38 In the culture surrounding the writing of this text, it was not at all uncommon for gods of other religions… Continue reading An Angel Visits Mary
Category: Reflections
Advent 4 (Love, Angels)
Sunday, December 22 through Tuesday, December 24 In this week of advent, as we light a candle for Love and for Angels, we turn toward the scenes and characters of these familiar stories. In the last few days leading up to Christmas, we find ourselves visited by angels and witnessing a meaningful family visit. As… Continue reading Advent 4 (Love, Angels)
Advent 3 (Joy, Shepherds)
Sunday, December 15 through Saturday, December 21 As we light the third candle, this time the pink candle symbolizing joy, we are also lighting the candle in honor of the shepherds, ordinary working folks leading ordinary lives, yet chosen to get a first glimpse of the Divine come down to earth. Now that we have… Continue reading Advent 3 (Joy, Shepherds)
Advent 2 (Peace, Bethlehem)
Sunday, December 8 through Saturday, December 14 As we light the second candle in the advent wreath this Sunday, we light it to symbolize Peace and Bethlehem. Having heard the already-but-not-yet proclamations of hope and prophecy, what are we to do in this time? How do we engage, set the scene, claim the peace that… Continue reading Advent 2 (Peace, Bethlehem)
Advent 1 (Hope, Prophecy)
Sunday, December 1 through Saturday, December 7 The advent wreath is a folk tradition, and no one is exactly sure of its origin. Depending on the variant, the candles we light each Sunday have different meanings, either hope/peace/joy/love or prophets/Bethlehem/angels/shepherds. I like to play with the order of the themes a little so that I… Continue reading Advent 1 (Hope, Prophecy)
Advent Devotional
I wrote this year's Church of the Brethren advent devotional. You can find more information here, including the link for where to purchase it, and links for the Spotify and YouTube playlists: https://www.brethren.org/messenger/playlists/playlist-advent-devotional/ I have created extra introductions to each week, meant to be used on Sundays to tie the themes of the weeks together… Continue reading Advent Devotional
Train trips and transitions
I am transitioning in my ministry career from full time chaplaincy at Timbercrest Senior Living Community to being full time District Executive Minister for the south/central Indiana district of the Church of the Brethren. I don't see as much discontinuity between those two roles as many folks have expressed... realities of compassion fatigue, transition, loss,… Continue reading Train trips and transitions
Blast from the past
Hi, folks. I apologize if you are one of the people who get emails about this blog -- you just got a bunch of them! I discovered that my old blog was in the process of disappearing but that I could still access the admin site. So I decided to transfer all 90 posts over… Continue reading Blast from the past
Silence
There are so many kinds of silence. The silence that envelops like a warm quilt, tucked up tight. The silence that chafes and itches, pacing along the walls of anxiety’s prison. The silence that expects and hopes and yearns. The silence that holds its breath and stands stock still, waiting for… for what? The silence… Continue reading Silence
Chaplaincy journal 5: One Day
Alex sits in his wheelchair watching Jeopardy with his wife. His right arm is drooping and, though he is following the conversation with big eyes like a three or four year old might, he only now and again says "I don't know" or "okay." His wife tells me of the 7 TIAs, 2 strokes, bladder surgery and prostate surgery he… Continue reading Chaplaincy journal 5: One Day
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