Re-membering
“What or who are your grieving and how has it affected you?” The questions echoed through the gathering space at the university I was invited to volunteer as a chaplain. […]
Posts
Ashes to Ashes
We gathered to celebrate my grandmother’s life this Ash Wednesday. Marked with the cross smudged on foreheads, we visited, sharing memories, laughing, crying.
Twelve Books on Grief for Both Children and Adults
One of the most frequent inquiries that I see in clergy groups is variations on “Anyone have a book recommendation for someone grieving?” I’ve compiled a list of 12 books–six […]
Walking with Grief
In January 2021, I lost one of my champions and people who loved me the most in this world, my Pap, to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a pastor, it was […]
Prayer for Historic Pregnancy Loss
Sadly, miscarriage and pregnancy loss are an all-too-common reality all around the world, and I can count myself among that number. In hospital chaplaincy I have found people like me […]
When Your Heart Aches
It’s been a week. It’s been a week since they announced an e-learning day, just one, for schools because of the coming Hurricane. It’s been a week since we shifted […]
New Year’s Irresolution
Earlier this year, I was at an annual gathering of other local clergy in my denomination. Our speaker for our time together was Dr. Deanna A. Thompson, the Director of […]
No Christmas Without Her: Ruth’s Story
The stories from Jesus’ complicated family tree are a legacy of courage and faith, justice and peace, that shape how we understand our Savior in the manger of Bethlehem. Today, […]
A Prayer for the Wave of Light
On what was supposed to be my daughter’s due date, we went up the hill on our farm. My spouse brought his banjo to play “I’ll Fly Away,” but our […]
When Personal Grief and Public Ministry Collide
I was sitting at one end of my church’s Fellowship Hall, surrounded by a pile of opened gifts and resting a plate laden with cake on my swollen, pregnant belly. […]
