Saturday Prayer, September 18, 2021

At the Rhiannon Giddens concert God, I’m grateful for the womanwith songs from her Black heritage,Indigenous, Gaelic, Southern heritage,and her insistence on caringfor the safety of listeners. I am grateful for restaurantswhere I sit outdoors,libraries and local storesstill with curbside pickup,ventilated, “time-visit” museums,strained, stressed, creative schools,(and the saints who work in them), church staff and… Read More

Narrative Lectionary: What, no palm branches? (Luke 19:28-44)

In times gone by, my usual practice would have been to allow the liturgy and hymns, the marching with palm leaves and the singing of “Hosanna”, to speak most loudly on Palm Sunday. However, in their absence (due to Covid restrictions this year), there is both a need and an opportunity to take a closer… Read More

Saturday Prayer, November 28, 2020

(Thanks so much to Scott Marrese-Wheeler for his photograph from Hidden Farm Road outside of McFarland, Wisconsin. He quotes Neena Verma, “Twilight, the only time of the day when the light and dark meet and become one.”) God, it is the twilightof the liturgical seasonsand today my Pentecost is a heap of ashes waiting for a… Read More

The Pastoral is Political: Naaman gets treatment for coronavirus

While the intervention of kings made a political football out of the army commander’s illness, the faithful Elisha kept his mind on his ministry, which was to demonstrate to the world that God’s power is present, God’s mercy is manifest, and that keeping to one’s house, advocating for frequent (hand) washing, donning the mask of humility, and protecting the integrity of one’s position as a prophet and a pastor are potent means to unleashing the change of circumstances for which we all thirst, and hunger, and pray. Read More

The Pastoral Is Political: Will We or Won’t We?

The pressure is on. The State of North Carolina implemented Phase 1 of its reopen plan on May 8, 2020. Some businesses can reopen with caveats: social distancing must be in place, extra cleaning must happen. State parks can reopen, but with limits on the number of people who can gather. Churches were to be… Read More