February 21, Lent 1B (Mark 1:9–15)
Jesus is attended to by angels—and wild beasts.
February 17, Ash Wednesday (Matthew 6:1–6, 16–21)
The distinctions between how we love God, neighbor, and self are not terribly thick.
What doing improv taught me about scarcity and choice
We went on with four performers instead of 10. It was invigorating.
On social media arguments in the Trump era
Is it worth the time to engage with people who are convinced their version of reality is right?
A movie in your earbuds
The Truth podcast—with actors' voices, music, and sound effects—is a radio drama for today.
When your woman card isn’t working right
My computer science husband sent me this link recently: “I had so many advantages, and I barely made it”: Pinterest engineer on Silicon Valley sexism.
How can an article be so unsurprising, yet so wholly dispiriting at the same time?
The passion hurts
During Holy Week, it's common for worship leaders to ask people to consider their place in the drama of Jesus' final days. To what extent do we betray him, deny him, insult him, crucify him? When do we, like the crowds, find ourselves gawking at suffering with prurient glee? When do we, like the thieves, alternately ridicule the truth, then believe in it? When do we, like the centurion, make our confession--though perhaps a moment too late?
The joy of stuff: Incarnation and the KonMari method
KonMari approaches clutter by asking just one question: “Does this item spark joy?” But this isn't always a simple question.
Beautiful service
Several years ago I taught a Sunday School class on the Saint John's Bible, a beautiful hand-calligraphed and illustrated version of the Bible that took several years and a whole team of artists to create. I showed the class a video about how the project came together, and the class was spellbound, as I knew they'd be. The illuminations make you want to lean into the scripture. The Saint John's Bible fosters awe and wonder toward the God who gives us not only the sacred story but also the artists who make it come alive.
Near the end of the video, the narrator shares the cost of this tremendous project.
March 20, Liturgy of the Palms: Luke 19:28-40
Preachers often struggle with Palm Sunday, and Jesus' entry into Jerusalem gets short shrift. But Palm Sunday is about more than a parade.
March 20, Liturgy of the Passion: Luke 22:14-23:56
Our culture's foundational sin is to make gods of ourselves, to find any excuse to go our own way rather than follow the Lord of life. We are weak. And yet in this Gospel story, so is Jesus.
March 13, Fifth Sunday in Lent: John 12:1-8
After the anointing at Bethany, Judas asks why the fragrance wasn't sold and the money given to charity. A more apt question might be why Mary didn't use it on her brother Lazarus, dead just a few days before.