Early this week—Monday evening, actually—I had what I’ve come to recognize as a nudge from God and I paid attention and followed it. It came after a really difficult day when I was struggling; I was sad and a bit upset with God. On Monday mornings right now at the hospital, I am leading a […]
Read more "Heavenly Things"I am sure you have noticed this: We are living through an exhausting time. The relentless cycle of news, the rancorous political climate, concerns about our environment, worry about those who struggle, who are in need, who are sick and vulnerable—it’s overwhelming. With all this as the backdrop, we are still doing our best to […]
Read more "A Heart Refreshed"Well, last weekend, as many of you know, I had planned to brave the January cold and make my first attempt at kayaking in the beautiful new kayak my kids gave me for Christmas. But it turns out that the winter weather—with ice and 40 mile per hour wind gusts—proved to be too much for […]
Read more "Mending the World"Well, Friends, unfortunately the light-hearted, easy message I had planned for us today (and already half finished) has been pre-empted by something else that felt more important to say this morning. If you’ve been following the news this week, you’re aware of the rising tensions and military action that resulted in the death of an […]
Read more "A Call for Prayer"For many of us here today, this quiet, peaceful morning time may represent the calm before the storm that will start soon—if it hasn’t started already–as we begin the cooking and preparing and wrapping and visiting that has become so much a part of Christmas. This time of year, our traditions are very important, steeped […]
Read more "Calm and Bright"Have you noticed the sense of peace and quiet that settles over the world as winter arrives? No more crickets chirping; only a few bird calls, here and there. There are no leaves left on the trees to rustle in the breeze. Late at night, when I take Gloria outside for the last time before […]
Read more "Peace and Quiet"Do you think of Jesus as a thankful person? It’s common for us to think of him as a wise and learned teacher, an able leader, a person who was clear about the truth and the truth of his relationship with God. We know from the Gospel stories that Jesus cared about those who struggled, […]
Read more "The Gratitude of Christ"A number of years ago I was walking with friends through Circle Center Mall downtown. We’d just listened to our kids play a Christmas jazz concert in the Artsgarden—that beautiful glassed dome that spans Washington and Illinois streets in downtown Indianapolis. As we walked back through the mall toward the parking garage, we passed the […]
Read more "What the Silence Is for"Doesn’t it feel good to get a really good night’s sleep? You know, the kind of sleep where we wake up feeling warm, rested, and ready for a new day? Researchers have spent decades studying sleep and they can tell us all kinds of things about it—from the speed of our brain waves during different […]
Read more "Each New Day"When you were young, did you ever go through a carnival fun house? You know–the place with all the trick mirrors that made your reflection super tall and thin or really short and round, or perhaps give you a tiny body and a huge, warbly head? I was never much of a fan of those […]
Read more "Hall of Mirrors"