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…
Anabaptist History, Anabaptist Future
History was never my best subject in school, but I have been really enjoying teaching a series on Anabaptist History to the High School Sunday School class. What has really captured my imagination as I prepare and lead lessons on these stories is something that Joel alluded to in the…
Confession of Faith
This past Saturday our family attended Mennonite Arts Weekend in Cincinnati, a biennial event we haven’t missed since 2008. It’s always a beautiful mix of art, inspiration, food, and connection. Mark your calendars for February 5-7, 2027. One of my favorite presenters was the poet Julia Baker. She talked about poetry as a…
The Risk in Not Risking
This week’s blog comes from Pastoral Intern Bethany Davey I have been thinking a lot about risk. Since the inauguration, the day-to-day risks assumed by those of us who are immigrants, transgender, nonbinary and queer is heightened. The threat of violence is palpable, and there is fear in the air….
A Big Anniversary, A Living Movement
Yesterday, January 21, was the big anniversary, 500 years. On that day in 1525, a small group gathered in a home in Zurich, Switzerland. The City Council had just passed an ordinance forbidding further deliberation on baptism, requiring dissidents to have their children baptized and join the official Reformed church. …
New Year, Renewing Intentions
I have come to appreciate annual cycles. The church calendar and school calendar are firmly lodged into my life rhythms. Both of these offer periods of engagement and rest, holy days and extended stretches of ordinary time. And there is the calendar year. Our (mostly) annual trip to Kansas…
Slowing Down, Being Present, Reflecting
Now that we have the busyness of the holiday season behind us but still plenty of Winter ahead of us, perhaps it is finally a good time to lean into the gift that these months can offer us: chances to slow down, to get cozy, and to reflect on where…
