Friday, July 5, 2019 | Reflections
I’ve told myself this lie many times since moving from Richmond, Virginia, to Seattle, Washington. No one cares for me. I don’t have my family of origin, or the friends I know from grade school, college, or summer camp. I don’t have all my warm acquaintances from old...
Thursday, July 4, 2019 | Reflections
The holy mandate of loving the stranger is dear to my heart. I see clearly how it applies to immigrants and refugees, as well as the underserved and hungry in our communities. But I think it’s much harder to live this in the more ordinary moments of our...
Wednesday, July 3, 2019 | Reflections
Today we meet Simon, full of breathless enthusiasm for the miraculous healing he has witnessed and wanting the opportunity to join in the miracle business. Simon offers money, hoping he can fast track his way onto the apostles’ team. Simon lives in a world where money...
Tuesday, July 2, 2019 | Reflections
In the middle of a classically gray Pacific Northwest winter, it can be easy to feel unmoored. Bogged down in a heavy cerebral state, I often forget where my help comes from. I analyze my fog, forgetting the groundedness that is found in trusting God. After...
Monday, July 1, 2019 | Reflections
I am a generational church person. I grew up going to church and youth group and was devoted to attending my local Episcopal summer camp. Church was just a part of life—not something I ever felt the need to explain to people. When I moved from the Southea….(View...
Sunday, June 30, 2019 | Reflections
We read this portion of Luke earlier in the month, and we can see something new each time we open ourselves to the Word. Over the last two thousand years, there have been many efforts to make following Jesus more palatable and attractive. Some of these efforts have...
Saturday, June 29, 2019 | Reflections
My daughters frequently get crossways with one another, and I cannot count how many times we have said to them, “Now, say you’re sorry.” Many people have the understanding that an apology is necessary for forgiveness. But look at Jesus: He comes to Peter for...
Friday, June 28, 2019 | Reflections
Everything tends toward entropy, disorder, and decay. At the end of the morning psalm, we are reminded just how big and timeless God is, especially when compared to the world around us. The laws of science do not apply to God. The psalmist reminds us that God is...
Thursday, June 27, 2019 | Reflections
When we think about greatness, we basically imagine two types of people: those who are great and those who want to be great. We all recognize the egocentric folks and roll our eyes in disgust and pity. In my own field of medicine, I see this egocentrism all the time:...
Wednesday, June 26, 2019 | Reflections
I was too full after supper last night and felt that way for over an hour. It was not a pleasant feeling at all, and I was miserable until my body started to digest the food. When I overeat, feelings of unease and discomfort dominate my thoughts. But when I am no...
Tuesday, June 25, 2019 | Reflections
Today’s story from Acts has so much wisdom packed into it. Gamaliel is a well-respected person among his community, and the disciples know him to be a fair man. Gamaliel doesn’t so much back up the story of the apostles as much as he admonishes those listening to give...
Monday, June 24, 2019 | Reflections
The readings today revolve around John the Baptist. We can read these passages and think only of John, or we can broaden our view that we too have been called to spread the news of Jesus’ coming. That’s what we are charged to do as Christians—to “go before the Lord to...
Sunday, June 23, 2019 | Reflections
The encounter between Jesus and the Gerasene demoniac means a lot to me. I see myself in this man—not that I run around naked among the tombs, but I have let other forces sway me. No matter what I did, or whatever steps I took to change things, I would “be driven by...
Saturday, June 22, 2019 | Reflections
Luke writes about the apostles’ testimony during the beginning months and years of the early church, and that whole testimony hinges on one thing: the resurrection of Jesus. The apostles speak and act with great power and grace rests upon them. Today, some folks place...
Friday, June 21, 2019 | Reflections
Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I have a friend who, when involved in a conversation, always listens first. He waits, listens, observes—and when he does speak, it is almost always something worth saying. This ability to listen is a bea….(View this...
