Life of Faith
Communion tears
In my 15 years as a pastor, I’ve seen a lot of watery eyes at the table.
For Simone Weil, philosophy was not merely academic
Robert Zaretsky offers a vivid picture of how truth telling made Weil’s life complicated.
Tears are a gift from God
They put us in touch with essential things that we know to be dear or wrong.
John Boswell’s faith lit up a generation
My brother’s work paved the way for many LGBTQ Christians.
Episode 6: Following the saints with Dan Koski
“You have to be willing to accept that if you call on this saint for help and guidance, he or she may call on you for challenges as well.”
What kind of faith should Ketanji Brown Jackson have?
We seem to want public figures with inconsequential beliefs.
The wonderful ordinariness of congregational life
Sometimes it’s boring. Sometimes it’s thrilling. Sometimes it makes me cry.
Episode 5: Exploring Egypt with Yehia El Decken
I keep secret in myself an Egypt
That doesn’t exist.
Is that good or bad? I don’t know. –Rumi
This is my blood, donated for you
When my arm is stretched out and blood is trickling out of me, I find myself thinking of Jesus.
April 17, Easter Day C (John 20:1-18)
Mary has no hand to clutch or shoulder to lean on.
A path back together through reading contemplative classics
My students and I are finding our way into the world again with Evagrius, Teresa of Ávila, and Howard Thurman.
Episode 4: Saying yes to the search with Karen Johnson
“I love this process of searching because oftentimes, we end up finding what we’re looking for but not in the way that we imagined when we started the process—not how we originally thought we would find God.”
American GIs and the chaplains who served them
Kurt Piehler reconstructs the lived religious experience of the World War II battlefield.
My spouse is also my pastor
During the pandemic, I’ve realized how much I rely on her as a proxy for my faith.
Episode 3: Finding nourishment with Gary Nabhan
“We have learned to accept diversity in the many peoples around us by falling in love with their foods… that’s why I’m optimistic.”
Amara Ifeji works at the intersection of climate and racial justice
The Nigerian-born activist grew up in Maine playing with the dirt—and experiencing environmental racism.
The receptive, reflective act of paying attention
For Simone Weil, paying attention means asking, ”What are you going through?”