Step out of the boat
How have you been feeling lately? Because I think a lot of us are afraid right now. There is, after all, so much to be afraid of. So much uncertainty – economic uncertainty, political uncertainty, health uncertainty. What are our lives going to be like on the other side of this pandemic? On the other … Continue reading “Step out of the boat”
The kingdom of heaven is like…
The Kingdom of Heaven is like… Weeds in a wheat field (damned interlopers) A mustard seed (that grows in my backyard) Yeast hidden in dough (set it aside in a warm spot to rise) One pearl of great value (get it now for the low low cost of everything you own) The Kingdom of Heaven … Continue reading “The kingdom of heaven is like…”
Welcoming the Weeds
Oh, goodness y’all, I need to tell you about DARNEL. I think any teacher will recognize the FEELING you get in your STOMACH whenever someone utters the name of one of Those Students. The bane of your existence. The kid whose sole purpose in life seems to be to make your classroom experience as torturous … Continue reading “Welcoming the Weeds”
The problem of individualism
So I’ve been contemplating the message(s) in the Parable of the Sower, in which a gardener tosses around a bunch of seeds with extreme abandon. Whether these seeds (the Word of God, love, peace, wisdom, enlightenment, nirvana) take root and grow depends on where they land: in the path, on rocky soil, amongst thorny bushes, … Continue reading “The problem of individualism”
Welcome as a Spiritual Practice
I’ve been thinking a lot this morning about welcome as a spiritual practice. A deep, true welcome is more than merely being nice to others, and it goes beyond simply accepting someone into our company. Such welcome is superficial if it also has to happen on our terms, according to our timeline, and in a … Continue reading “Welcome as a Spiritual Practice”