As a pastor who leads day in and day out, I feel comfortable when I am the primary authority, giving vision and guidance to others on how things need to be done. But as a woman in an egalitarian relationship with a man, I feel less comfortable—all right, I admit it: I feel very angry—when […]
When the pastor’s phone rings, you never know who or what is on the other end of the line. It could be good news—the birth of a baby, an invitation to collaborate on a community initiative, or a good medical report. Often, though, answering the phone as a pastor can be a bit more fraught. […]
I know we’re not supposed to have favorites, but let me tell you about my favorite. I met her ten years ago. Her brother was an active member of our neighborhood youth group. He’d walk a few blocks from his house to ours to hang out or participate in an activity. Then, he moved. Their […]
Find yourself a group of friends… …who will remind you to take care of yourself. Just last night I went to set my home alarm before going to bed, like I always do. It was late, and the alarm wouldn’t set. It kept notifying me that the basement exterior door was open. There was […]
The mandarin was Aurelia’s idea. The rest of the rituals had been pre-planned by me, but her spontaneity with the fruit helped. Let me explain. We were throwing a funeral for my marriage. It seemed to me that my grief needed somewhere to go. My grief needed a container, a sacred space, a ritual embrace. […]
I just want to know, God. When you spoke about binding up the broken-hearted, right there between good news for the poor and release for the captives, who did you have in mind? Is there space for those who, long past the point that it’s socially acceptable to drown one’s sorrows in ice cream, […]
Many of our members have excitedly jumped on board for our very first Meet-Up Week, scheduled for February 16-21, 2014. (If you’re still looking for one to attend, the link to the map is here.) But maybe you’re hanging back, waiting to see how it goes first before jumping in. Or maybe you’re thinking “I […]
“Preparations were carefully made. All the people who expected to participate were very sure that their feet were already clean and had nice new hose. White sheets were hung up separating the men from the women. A pan of water was provided for each group and two long towels. Then one after another looped the […]
I sat on the bed, listening to the shower. At my feet there was a massive pile of laundry, mostly my husband’s clothes. He was packing a large suitcase and moving to the East coast for a job. For the second time in 12 months, we were going to be separated. When we first met, we were […]
The new president of Princeton Seminary wrote an article last December, titled “Pastor, not friend.” In that article, he reflects on his relationship with a devoted elder of the parish who was shocked—and saddened—when Craig Barnes announced his leaving the parish. He said “friends don’t treat each other like that.” Craig responds, “He was right, […]
