On Wednesday, they locked the door, and on Thursday, they unlocked it. And the world is new again. The literal meaning of conclave is “with = con” and “key = clave”. In Latin, the word conclave refers to a lockable room.

Many months ago, when the Earth was still blanketed with snow and ice, we chose the theme “Bright and Beautiful” for the annual generosity campaign.

One of my favorite sermons by the late great Fred Craddock is an Easter sermon called “The Announcement." In his coy and unassuming way, Craddock says his only real mission in the sermon is to make the announcement that God raised Jesus from the dead. 

Clarence Jordan was a Baptist minister and it was his “Koinonia Farm” in Georgia that was the template for what eventually became Habitat for Humanity.

Perched on the top of the hill in Atchison is a monastery where about 100 nuns live and work. About half the nuns are actively working as teachers, social workers, journalists, and administrators.

My Granny always had chickens in her backyard. Even after moving to “town” (population 358) her backyard was full of clucking chicks and she would allow me to gather the eggs on our Sunday afternoon visits.

The phrase "love’s braided dance", has lingered with me for weeks now. Relationships can feel more like braids than a direct line and can feel more like a dance than a sprint.

I think the question was “Where do you draw spiritual strength?” It was a good question and startled me. We were wrapping up the gathering in my home with recent church guests and those discerning about possible church membership.

Five years ago, when we locked the church doors and went home to wait out covid, there was a huge barrel of colorful plastic eggs filled with candy sitting in the parlor waiting for the annual Easter Egg Hunt.

Some people give up coffee or booze for Lent. Some folks would rather add something to their life for Lent, like a daily prayer or a weekly service project. Either strategy can nudge us closer to the path of Jesus. But what is the purpose of Lent? Is it about denying ourselves? Read More...

Don’t tell my Dad, but I sent him a large red heart box for Valentine’s Day. As I set it on the countertop to pay, I saw a flashback to all the years Dad gave me a similar red heart-shaped box when I was a little girl.

From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible teaches us how to treat the other. Is she a foreigner? A resident alien? A stranger? The witness of our sacred text compels us to love the other as we would love ourselves.

Her portrait has hung in my office for decades. Her serene face with a firm resolve stares off to the side and a pointy helmet rests over her head and ears.