I wasn't supposed to be here this weekend. I was supposed to be out of town. In the before times, I had excitedly written down a wedding in my planner for May 16, with three exclamation points. I would have picked out a cute dress and shoes and fascinator and gotten to meet extended family members, and catch up with friends, and dance, and eat cake. At some point, I probably would have had … [Read more...]

Well...I guess I owe my cat an apology. We have had an unwanted guest here in the manse off and on for a while now, and you may recall how I have lamented that my six-pound cat, Gingersnap, was a DECORATIVE cat and not a FUNCTIONAL cat. How could she stand by and permit a mouse to move into our home? How could she sleep knowing that her own food was being pilfered? Did she have no feline … [Read more...]

What about church do you find yourself missing the most? If you'd asked me three months ago, "What would you miss the most if you were unable to attend church for an extended period of time?" I think I probably would have said something about getting to participate in ancient rituals, layering my voice on top of the voices of countless millions of people of faith who have gone before me. I … [Read more...]

Everything does not happen for a reason and God did not concoct this pandemic to punish us, to test us, to teach us something, or for any other purpose. Not everything has a reason or a purpose. Not all questions can be answered. We believe, above all things, that there is one God and that our God is fundamentally good: God is the essence of goodness itself, and of love, and of welcome, … [Read more...]

Today was a lonely Maundy Thursday. It's the day of the church year that remembers Jesus' last meal with his friends, because even God needed to draw strength from friends during a time of pain and heartbreak and fear. It is especially difficult that during this time of pain, heartbreak, and fear, we are unable to physically share meals with our friends. I am immensely grateful that I was able to … [Read more...]

It will be a very different kind of parade this Sunday, as we each reflect on the palms from our own homes. We are still unable to open the church to worship together, but remember that when Jesus entered Jerusalem and was greeted with waving palm branches...that wasn't a formally planned, officially sanctioned, scheduled in advance event. People were waving what they had on hand--pulled from the … [Read more...]

Well. These are interesting times, aren't they? When I decided that I wanted to be a pastor, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Zoom (etc., etc., etc.) didn't even exist, so I had no reason not to assume that any ministry I did would take place in a physical building with other humans physically present. It was comforting to me to think that my background in theater, public speaking, and stage light … [Read more...]

We are swimming in uncharted waters. None of us were alive the last time a pandemic of this magnitude hit the earth and seminary sure as heck didn't train me or any of my colleagues for an event anything like COVID-19. We can't gather together for in-person worship for the time being and I can't tell you when that sad fact will change. In the meanwhile, I'm trying to create as many … [Read more...]

A few months ago, I was getting ready for bed when I suddenly heard a small suspicious rustling sound in the cupboard over my stove. I pulled over a chair to stand on, opened the cupboard door, and locked eyes with a teeny tiny little field mouse. I looked at her. She looked at me. I closed the door, backed away slowly, and gave Gingersnap a very long lecture on how she is useless as a cat. She’s … [Read more...]