I haven't written for a while, and one might well wonder if I have given up the blogging endeavor for good. After all, when posts slow down to a dribble, one's blog quickly becomes irrelevant as readers move on to other things. And that's exactly what I am pondering now---irrelevancy. Five weeks ago I announced to my congregation that I am retiring as of August … [Read more...] about Irrelevance
Holy Saturday
I love the silence of Holy Saturday. Only two more hours and it will slip in unnoticed by most. It is especially silent since this year we are not having a vigil, and I have a head cold and feel too lousy to drive an hour to be with my brother's congregation tomorrow night. I'll do well tomorrow to get a sermon done for Sunday's celebration; I suppose crafting words is not … [Read more...] about Holy Saturday
To make a basket
Making baskets seems to be a good topic this close to Easter. I am re-reading the book "Braiding Sweetgrass" by Robin Kimmerer. I just finished the chapter where the author was learning to make a basket from John Pigeon, a Potawatomi basket maker. She described going with him to choose the black ash tree, felling it, followed by the hours of scraping and peeling long, thin … [Read more...] about To make a basket
Musing again
I opened up my journal this morning, wrote in today's date, and suddenly remembered that I was ordained as a pastor 18 years ago today. Oh, how the world has changed! How the Church has changed! How I have changed! On that evening 18 years ago, I didn't know what I was getting into any more than Peter, Andrew, James or John did when Jesus invited them to leave their nets … [Read more...] about Musing again
Why do I care?
Why do I care about Standing Rock? The "water protectors," of the Lakota Sioux in North Dakota, joined by other Native Americans and friends, for months have stood unarmed and prayerful in opposition to the oil pipeline going under the river next to their home. But it's a long way from here, 1,507 miles for goodness sake. (Yes, I checked it out.) I have plenty of concerns … [Read more...] about Why do I care?