[Revised and re-posted from 2011] I’ve never been much into Valentine’s day. Post-Valentine’s Day chocolates on sale, yes; the holiday itself, not so much. I never had a boyfriend in Jr. High or High School, so it was just a day to get nothing–which was humiliating–or to get sympathy flowers from my parents–which was more…
I recently helped write a letter to leaders of my denomination, Mennonite Church USA. This letter asks that the denomination make space for congregations and pastors who welcome and bless LGBTQ people. Over 150 credentialed (and formerly credentialed) Mennonite pastors have signed it. I shouldn’t be surprised that there have been letters in response to…
This prayer is based on Jesus’ words from Matthew 6:25-34: Holy God of Abundance, As we sow and reap and gather into barns; As we work and earn and calculate our net worth, Let us consider the birds of the air; Let us consider the lilies of the field. Let us notice and look and…
The following is an excerpt from this past Sunday’s sermon. You can read the whole sermon here. – – – – – Our history as a Church is a history of God’s people as agents of holy change and maintainers of the status quo. During the Holocaust, many Christians supported the Nazi party and others…
In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr., I thought I would re-post his Rule of Life. It was a Rule for himself and a Rule that those who wished to join him in his efforts toward justice were expected to adopt as well. You can find it published in the book Soul Feast by Marjorie…
In one of my Mennonite Facebook groups the other day, someone asked who would be the first to blog about the “elephant in the room.” That elephant would be the recent licensing toward ordination of my friend and colleague Theda Good. Theda is called by God and gifted by the Spirit to serve a church…
Breathe. Just breathe in the sharp ice air that stings the hollows of my nose and mingles with the blood that flows to each hair follicle, through each artery, each vein, fueling my stops and starts toward home, warming my wind-whipped skin, sinking deep into the marrow of each bone. Breathe. Just breathe out the…
Today is your birthday– or was. I don’t know what it is now that you are dead–just a shadow to remind us that last year we gave you tickets to a KU game–tickets for you and Matt to celebrate the day; a festive end to a pretty good year. We didn’t know how near to…
*This post is taken from the sermon I preached on December 22, 2013. You can read the full sermon text here. Luke 2:8-20 One thing to note about this biblical story is that it is set at night; in the dark and quiet. And I don’t mean Lawrence nighttime dark and quiet with streetlights and…
Just a brief prayer today as I prepare for our Christmas hymn-sing on December 29: Creator God, Word-Made-Flesh, Thank you for the songs of this holy season. Thank you for the amazing story of which we sing. Thank you for the song of the Spirit that surrounds and sustains us. May our voices and our…
Spacious Faith 