It’s my birthday. I’m taking the night off. (big smile)
Read MoreEpiphany II
Imagination This month I am working on an article with my partner in research in the Learning Pastoral Imagination Project. Chris Scharen and I are writing about pastoral imagination itself. And as a part of that we are reviewing literature…
Read MoreEpiphany I
A New Day Dawning What’s that sound? The stirring wind of a new day. As the sun rose this morning over Lake Michigan, a new day in Baptist scholarship also dawned. It was not simply the panel presentation at the…
Read MoreChristmastide IV
Windy City The next few weeks hold lots of travel. Next stop: Chicago for the American Society of Church History annual meeting. It will be my first time to attend that gathering. I’ll tweet some impressions and anything notable I…
Read MoreChristmastide III
Looking Back and Looking Ahead Another year of blogging. This post #200 since I began blogging two years ago (Advent 2009). A few changes are underway. I’m working on the site to make it a bit more visually appealing. I’ve…
Read MoreChristmastide II – It Takes Two Hands
It Takes Two Hands In our extended families we stretch out Christmas for several days. And we try to keep our family meals and gift exchanges to one-per-day. Christmas 2011 is in the books now. It was enjoyable for the…
Read MoreChristmas I
Christmas Eve May the peace and love of Christ find its way into your life and take up permanent residence.
Read MoreAdvent VII
Inspiration Tonight my spouse recklessly left me in charge of weekly announcements at church. I meant to take the pink sparkly Santa hat to punch things up a bit. Lucky for everyone I overlooked it as I went out the…
Read MoreAdvent VI : Blessed Is She
Blessed Is She “And blessed is she who believed that there would be fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.” – Luke 1:45 (NRSV) Elizabeth said this to Mary, in the visit when both women were carrying…
Read MoreAdvent IV : Rethinking the Posture of Waiting
Rethinking the Posture of Waiting (2011) Here we are on the third Sunday in Advent, a celebration of Joy. We are thinking and waiting in expectation. And although my daughter awoke sick long before dawn, she is on the mend,…
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Change “We can shape but can’t control these possibilities to grow.” -Seryn The one constant of the universe? Change. Well, it depends on which cosmology you are embracing today . . . My own is under construction (as usual). My…
Read MoreAdvent II : Learning Stories of Advent
Learning Stories of Advent (2011) One of the many gifts of following the church year and circling through the life of Jesus and the life of the church every twelve months, is its orientation of newcomers into the practice of…
Read MoreOrdinary Time XLI
Advent Eve I’m writing late and posting this prior to the start of Advent. I’ve been at this blogging-twice-weekly for two years now. That’s 190 posts. A few with pictures only. Some original poetry. Lots of stories. Original photos with…
Read MoreOrdinary Time XL
Giving Thanks and Living It This week I’ve returned from the annual meeting of the American Academy of Religion in San Francisco, California, and come into the annual family traditions of gathering for the Thanksgiving holiday. I’m feeling a kind…
Read MoreOrdinary Time XXXIX
Collaboration – Part II This coming week I’m headed out to San Francisco. I will be taking part in a very large gathering of scholars and teachers who are concerned with religious and theological studies. The American Academy of Religion and…
Read MoreOrdinary Time XXXVIII
late autumn run grey skies swirls of lemony leaves sidewalk poetry out of season blackbirds and squirrels for company strangely abandoned shovel christmas lights too soon fickle wind
Read MoreOrdinary Time XXXVII
Formation Each twist back and forth down the path takes us deeper into the dark earth. “Momma, hold my hand.” I reach for her small hand. And we step carefully down the paved trail. As the light disappears behind us…
Read MoreOrdinary Time XXXVI
Final Road Trip Pics These pics and captions are my final installment from a family road trip. The last three posts are my version of “six word stories” which are fun to create and allow the picture tell as much…
Read MoreOrdinary Time XXXV
Travlin’ Down the Highway . . . As the trip continues, many new ideas and perspectives have emerged along the way in wide open vistas, deep canyons, dark caves and long stretches of highway . . . . Here are…
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