Posts

Pastors are People Too: A Review of Welcome to Triumph

Have you ever gone to the grocery store wearing pajama bottoms, a tank top, with your hair a mess and run into a parishioner? Or worse a member of your church board? I know some clergy who do their shopping one or two towns over so as to avoid this type of awkward encounter. What […]

Choose Your Own Adventure

She knew it was over. She knew it was over. Right then as she followed the Head Deacon out of the narthex toward her office, Lexi knew that this was the end. Her heels clicked across the floor with an unexpected certainty. It was then she knew that her days in Corinth were over. She […]

The Frozen Chosen

Standing in the narthex of the church on the last summer day of July, Lexi shook hands with the few and the proud that had come to worship that morning. With each handshake, she heard the typical comments. “Nice sermon.” “Thanks for worship today.” Lexi hated these comments. She wanted to know more. She wanted […]

Summer Time in Corinth

The God of the Wilderness calls to me during the summer. She is a beckoning God. She wants me to abandon all responsibility to praise her radiant glory. She is determined to spoil me with a golden glow and abundant warmth. Alas, she can only distract me from my office window. She is still calling – but so is the […]

Throwing Stones

My computer sang that familiar tune. I am compulsive about checking email. It doesn’t seem to matter what I am doing when that song begins. I instantly minimize the open document on my screen and jump into the inbox of my email account. It is almost always a church member – unless the beloved denominational […]

Where the Wild Things Are

I could fall in love with a politician. I did. It happened. As forbidden and secret as it may be, it is the secret that I keep tucked in by my political hope at night. But they don’t make a t-shirt that celebrates the love of retired clergy. If they did, I wouldn’t wear it […]

Forbidden love

I’m in love! Oh, don’t get too excited. I’m not in love with anyone I’ve actually met. . .or am likely to meet. This love is a secret love, which is something juicy for me to savor. I’m not telling many people and definitely not telling members of my congregation. They are very kind to […]

The Light of Christ

OK, so it was a cheesy children’s sermon anyway. Though most children’s sermons—or at least the ones I give—come that way, this was particularly so. But it was Easter—my first ordained Easter!—so amidst all the preparations for Holy Week services, and especially my much-anticipated Easter sermon, I grabbed the first half-decent object lesson I found. […]

Silent Night

Silent night, holy night All is calm, all is bright Round yon Virgin Mother and Child Holy Infant so tender and mild Sleep in heavenly peace Sleep in heavenly peace The lyrics of our final hymn at the Christmas Eve service rang in my ears as I peered into the cold silent night outside the […]

Good Can Come

Another Wednesday night meant another class to teach. Diving into the texts with the enthusiasm of a young child going for the baby in a King’s cake was how I wanted to spend my Wednesday nights. When I arrived in Corinth, I wanted more than anything to share my find with others. I wanted to […]