Ending a Season of Internship
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…
Farewell to a Friend
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…
A Public Good Friday
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…
Hosting Dr. Nick Maynard keynote speech “Gaza: A War on Healthcare” TOMORROW
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…
Room to Grow
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…
Lenten Anticipation
Growing up, I paid little attention to Lent. I anticipated Good Friday and Easter, but the 40 days leading up to those passed by in a blur of normalcy. I was vaguely aware of Friday Fish Fry meals at local parishes, and haphazardly attempted to “give up” something for Lent…
Impending D(Bl)oom
Impending D(Bl)oom “You have made the moon to mark the seasons; the sun knows its times for setting.” Psalm 104:19 The Psalmist takes comfort in the regularity of the seasons, even the daily rising and setting of the sun. They celebrate it as a sign of Divine faithfulness amidst the…
Giving Up _______ for Lent
Last week our oldest daughter asked me what I am giving up for Lent. This is something I often do, but I completely forgot about it this year. So, on the spot, I said I’m giving up despair. After thinking about it a bit more, I’m sticking to it. Part…
Ash Wednesday, Thrown Alongside
Our Lent theme for this year is Thrown Alongside, which is a sort of literal translation of the word “parable.” In many ways, parables are stories, metaphors, images, and ideas that are placed (or thrown) alongside the stories, metaphors, and images of our own life. They are an invitation to…
Finding the Land
During Sunday’s children’s time I shared about the LandBack campaign of NAICCO (Native American Indian Center of Central Ohio). They are one of two organizations to which we release our Reparative Debt Payments, part of our annual congregational budget. The other organization is called Land of the Freed. They are led by Paisha…
