Thursday, November 7, 2019 | Reflections
No one looks forward to being evaluated by the boss, whether in a formal annual process or something more casual. There is an element of fear that comes with having our performance judged, even if we have reason to be confident in our competencies.The Church...
Wednesday, November 6, 2019 | Reflections
Nehemiah was one of the leaders of a group of Jews returning to their ancestral home after having survived the Babylonian captivity. He was in charge of restoring the physical and spiritual infrastructure of Jewish life in Jerusalem.Nehemiah’s work...
Tuesday, November 5, 2019 | Reflections
Why was the joy of Jerusalem heard across the countryside? This joy was the voice of exuberant celebratory singing. Nehemiah had led a massive construction project—rebuilding the wall around the city—following the return of the exiled children of Israel from bondage...
Monday, November 4, 2019 | Reflections
I’ll never forget an outdoor advertisement I saw some decades ago: “I tasted escargot twice. Once going down.” For many, the taste of cooked snails is a bitter one. Saint John the Revelator has just witnessed an utterly astonishing scene: a truly massive angel...
Sunday, November 3, 2019 | Reflections
Anxiety is a natural and unavoidable emotion. So, we might wonder if Jesus is guilting us about our feelings. I think not. When Jesus talks about people who are anxious about food or clothing, he’s not necessarily indicating ill-fed or ill-clad people but perhaps the...
Saturday, November 2, 2019 | Reflections
Images frequently show people who have departed this life cartoonishly walking on clouds and holding harps, with halos hovering above their heads and wings attached to their shoulders. Each of these details has a loose connection somewhere in the Christian...
Friday, November 1, 2019 | Reflections
On this principal feast of All Saints, we remember and honor those whose witness to Christ and to the gospel was writ large, of heroic proportions. These are souls that have been purified and made holy and reside in the unfiltered presence of God. It is not without...
Thursday, October 31, 2019 | Reflections
Last November, I went to Guatemala with my son and my parents. We lived there in the early 1970s, while my dad attended seminary. I wanted my son to see where we lived and where his grandparents had planted churches. While we were in Guatemala, many of the...
Wednesday, October 30, 2019 | Reflections
I love nature—clouds, flowers, beaches, rocks, seashells, trees, and landscapes. If you look at the pictures in my phone or in my albums, you will find many nature pictures. I may not want to camp out and sleep under the stars, but I do love nature. Even through the...
Tuesday, October 29, 2019 | Reflections
One of the things I love about flying into Latin American airports is that people clap when the plane lands. I have never asked why this happens, but I love it. I also love that when Latino/a folks are together, we clap along to songs. We will clap even when we don’t...
Monday, October 28, 2019 | Reflections
The world hates many of us, labeling us as “other” to exclude and erase us. If we don’t have a house in a certain neighborhood, shop at the right mall, or buy those fancy shoes—we are nothing. One year, when I was still teaching fifth grade in Housto….(View this...
Sunday, October 27, 2019 | Reflections
I do a lot of talking and teaching about stewardship, which I learned through my parents’ examples and teachings. I remember a priest who told me he was ashamed because he could not tithe. He had struggled his whole life to financially support his two...
Saturday, October 26, 2019 | Reflections
Jesus’ challenge in this verse from Matthew is a pretty big one for me. His question echoes in my head and heart when I consider my own bad words—the judgy words I use when describing those I don’t understand. Why is he so mean to LGBTQI+ people? Why is she so...
Friday, October 25, 2019 | Reflections
For my whole life, people have told me that I have been given a variety of challenges because I am strong. People have said or done ridiculous things to me because I am strong, and they know I can handle it. This is exhausting. Just like anyone else, I want to curl up...
Thursday, October 24, 2019 | Reflections
We tell each other the lies that we are not enough, that we are not loved by God because of who we love or because we are different. But what would you do if you knew God chose you? What would you say if you knew you were God’s beloved? How would you act if you knew...
