In a fast-moving world that is full to bursting with opinions and marketing spin, isn’t it a relief to get a clear, yes-or-no answer to a question we care about? The “simple, unvarnished truth”—even if it is something we’d rather not hear—rings true and something within us relaxes when we get the answer. Our hearts […]
Read more "Yes and No"Have you ever noticed that we are literally surrounded by an abundance of beauty each day? Who knows the number of petals on a single rose? Or the total count of trees in a lush, green forest. How many light-filled—and sometimes rain-filled—clouds cross the sky each day over our heads and houses? Who could count […]
Read more "The Economy of God"It’s hard to believe that we are already to that part of the summer when the blackberries are beginning to ripen on the vine. The lettuce and kale are up and ready for harvesting; there are green tomatoes on the sprouting bushes; the cucumber and summer squash have big, bell-shaped yellow blossoms, and the wildflowers […]
Read more "By Their Fruits"NEW!! Listen to the message here: Once upon a time there was a little girl named Esther who had had a rough start in life. She was born into a Jewish family, a descendant of those who had been captured by King Nebuchadnezzar and carried away into a life of exile and service. When Esther […]
Read more "Remembering Esther"In case you are wondering from the title, this is a message about being welcomed. About the spiritual gift of hospitality. About what it feels like to be included and excluded and invited back in, in our culture and our world. I’ve mentioned before that the messages I prepare for Sunday mornings always seem to […]
Read more "But Not the Hippopotamus"How many simple, wonderful things have you already enjoyed in your day today? Maybe you woke up warm, snuggled under layers of soft blankets. Perhaps you enjoyed a cup or two of freshly brewed coffee, probably thankful for the aroma long before you took that first sip. You may have shared a few sweet quiet […]
Read more "Simple Things"“We’re all friends here.” How might that idea, that statement, that energy change the world around us right now? What if people elected to our government could say that—“We are all friends here”—in the White House, in the halls of Congress, in press conferences, on airplanes? What if leaders of nations, of denominations, of industries […]
Read more "One Love, One World"Sitting here this morning, just now, what’s the truest thing you know? Maybe it’s something basic, like “Life is good.” Or perhaps it’s something that helps you keep a hopeful view, like, “There’s always something to be grateful for.” Or maybe you fall back on one of our foundational Quaker ideas: “There is that of […]
Read more "Moment of Truth"Do you have a special spot in nature you like to go when you want to relax, or think things over, or just soak up the peace? When I was a little girl, we lived in a townhouse on the east side of Indianapolis. One day, out exploring, I discovered a creek way back behind […]
Read more "For the Beauty of the Earth"Don’t you find it fascinating that all the peonies blossomed on Memorial Day weekend? Not just the peonies in my yard, not just some peonies, but literally all the peony bushes I saw from Shelby to Hancock to Marion to Hamilton counties, bursting out in giant blossoms of pink, white, and red. Doesn’t it make […]
Read more "Many and One"
The Space between the Words 