Over the course of the fall our neighbors have begun clearing off the hillside which separates our houses. What was once a thicket full of dense underbrush has become a neat little grove of trees. I have begun to take my daughter for little walks up the hillside to look at the trees and little... Continue Reading →
God with us
We all want God to simply part the clouds and look down on us, or to verbally communicate with us, unmediated. But, that cannot be, God is far too great, and we are far too insignificant. I am not sure what encountering God’s unmediated presence (I want to use terms like “real” and “physical” but... Continue Reading →
Impressionists and Epiphany
On Monday I had the opportunity to visit the Painting the Modern Garden exhibit at the Cleveland Museum of Art. As I walked through the exhibit, filled with impressionist paintings, I thought about how all art is in reality impressionistic. All art even the most realistic photographs are simply artistic representations of reality, meant to... Continue Reading →
Do I want peace?
This time of year it is common to hear someone talk of peace on earth, we hear people wishing for it in songs and movies. This is based on the angels’ song to the shepherds in Luke 2:14 "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!" (Luke... Continue Reading →
Lighting up Christmas
This morning I woke up around 6:30 am it was completely dark in my house, sometime around 7:00 the first rays of sun broke over the hilltops and by 7:30 sun was up. There was an obvious progression from dark to light, a progression which could be predicted and timed. We are all used to... Continue Reading →
From pity toward generosity
What does it mean to pity someone and who should we pity? As a rule, I hate resorting to the dictionary definition of a word, but, I do like the way the Oxford English Dictionary frames its definition: “The feeling of sorrow and compassion at the sufferings and misfortunes of others.” Sometimes suffering is easy... Continue Reading →
Little steps toward Thanksgiving
I really wish I knew who to credit for this quote because it is spot on. Only in America can we show our gratitude for the things we have on Thursday; then spend Friday in a mad dash to get more. It is unbelievable that this whole week we will have buildup, not to Thanksgiving,... Continue Reading →
Stir Up Sunday
A somewhat lesser known holiday in the Church falls on the last Sunday of the Church calendar, November 22 this year, Stir-up Sunday. Stir-up Sunday gets its name from the Anglican collect for the day: Stir up; we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people; that they, plenteously bringing forth the fruit... Continue Reading →
Reactions to Paris, Prayer for the World
I have spent a great deal of time this weekend following social media and the response to last Friday’s events in Paris. I saw numerous responses to the tragedy expressing condolences from people who honestly seemed to wish they could do more than write a note. At some point in the weekend it dawned on... Continue Reading →
Christmas: culture in conflict
Sunday evening, I happened to catch something on TV that struck me, I was not paying attention to the show and have little context for what I saw. A man was talking about how much he loved Christmas, and began to list the reasons why. Nowhere, however, did he list Jesus. Then, Monday I opened... Continue Reading →
Squinting in the Light 