Divine Source of Peace- When worries plague my mind, my thoughts race like a car on a speedway. Tomorrow’s concerns rattle in my head, and the present moment seems farther away than future fears. Sleep is either extremely plentiful or scarce. I’m jittery until I can find out how my problems will be solved… and… Read More
The Pastoral is Political: Can Fear Be Your Superpower?
It is exhausting to keep your opinions to yourself. Even more taxing is holding the gospel inside when you know it should be spoken. Yet that is where many of us have found ourselves this past year. As I read, listen, and watch the news there are always stories that cry out for God’s mercy… Read More
Friday prayer – looking for God
Hide-and-seek God, everyone is searching for you. Where are you in the scramble for Covid vaccine appointments? In the terse words of anxious parishioners? In the utter exhaustion of sprinting in place for nearly a year? In the fear over what extremists are plotting in the remote corners of the web? In the worry over… Read More
Friday prayer: the nights are long
“I’m afraid of the dark” whispered a tender voice beside my groggy head. I followed the voice’s owner down the hall into the room dimly illumined by his nightlight and under his comic book-themed bedsheets. I snuggled him as he vibrated with anxious energy. It was all I could do as he struggled with his… Read More
The pastor is political: choose your own adventure
More often than not, I’ve woken up lately feeling like an elephant was curled up on my chest. Here in the United States we find ourselves in the midst of a pandemic that remains relatively unchecked because our leaders lack the political will to make hard choices. Of systemic racism that manifests in new ways… Read More
Friday Festival: Storms
When I was a child, at the first sign of the deep blue midday sky, my anxiety-ridden stomach would begin to churn. I knew what was coming but didn’t know the severity. Sometimes tornado sirens would wail in the background. Other times, we would just experience a run-of-the-mill summer storm. After I moved to Florida… Read More
Tuesday Prayer
Holy One who abides in my words- In my awkwardness and lovely lack of self-esteem, I second-guess the words which exit my mouth. Anxiety sets my mind on fire, igniting doubts, and the flames of overthinking spread rapidly. Reset my racing mind. Allow me to release the conversation. Relax my heart, and help me find… Read More
Wednesday Prayer
A Pastor’s Prayer on the Edge of Lent Slow me down, O God. I am in a rush, burdened with deadlines and deaths, yearning for downtime and delight. Slow me down long enough to see you right now. Not tomorrow, not in my dreams, not on that mountaintop looming large, but right now in my… Read More
Tuesday Prayer
God who created the expanding universe and designed each atom which dances in our world- let’s talk about anxiety for a minute. Why is it that my mind churns night and day wondering and worrying? Why is my heart racing, and why do I feel overwhelming nausea? Why do I feel like I can’t move… Read More
Tuesday Prayer
“Do what scares you most,” they say. God, this is obviously creating a panic inside of me. I know tackling this fear is crucial to family and friends and my sense of call. I know this in my head. But my soul is cringing right now. The one thing that scares me the most creates… Read More