It seems impossible that my internship year, which began at the end of August, will come to a close on Friday. A school year can seem long at the onset, and yet its passing occurs as time tends to: in slow-rapid unfolding. This year and internship experience have been a…

This is what a branch of the ginkgo tree outside our church looks like as of this afternoon.  A closer look reveals the unique fan-shaped leaves already there, in miniature form, ready to push out and expand. On the Tree of Life, ginkgos occupy their own branch, the sole survivor…

The first Good Friday was a public event.  By design, crucifixions took place in highly visible places.  At a crossroads, on a hill, wherever the state executions could be noticed.  This strategy served as a deterrent to whoever witnessed it.  Whatever that person did, DON’T DO IT, or that could…

Our worship theme for Lent has been “Thrown Alongside.”  That’s the literal translation of the Greek word for parable.  Throughout the season, we’ve been pondering parables and stories from Luke in which Jesus throws his listeners alongside a compassionate Samaritan, a prodigal father, a wealth gap that stretches from Hades…

Some of the most formative moments of my faith journey happened in the back of crowded church vans, around late-night campfires, or in the midst of a packed worship hall filled with hundreds of other young people. I grew up in the Disciples of Christ denomination, and the Ohio Region…