• lenten journal: pi(e) day

    by  • March 14, 2013 • 3 Comments

    one afternoon long ago I stumbled upon Albert Einstein sitting on a stair a map of the constellations at his feet what I remember is the playful look in his eye — as though the universe was intended as a source of joy today is his birthday — and Pi Day which he would...

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    lenten journal: random notes

    by  • March 13, 2013 • 2 Comments

    Sometimes you get on a roll — I mean I get on a roll and I forget things I already know. Last night I got going on the idea that Jesus didn’t sing and it all fell together so nicely until I got up this morning to find notes from a couple of friends...

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    lenten journal: what would jesus sing?

    by  • March 12, 2013 • 3 Comments

    I can remember buying the record. Vinyl. 1979 — my first year in seminary and her first record, self-titled: Rickie Lee Jones. The radio hit was “Chuck E.’s in Love,” but the record was full of great things beyond what was fed to the general public. I loved the abandon with which she sang...

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    lenten journal: the power of great affection

    by  • March 11, 2013 • 6 Comments

    Last week at my church’s series on Poverty in Durham, one of the speakers said the biggest difference between those who hit on hard times and end up homeless and those who hit upon hard times and do not is the latter have a network — they have people to turn to who will...

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    lenten journal: note from the road

    by  • March 11, 2013 • 3 Comments

    Tonight I am grateful that grace abounds. I have been in Nashville since Friday for several book-related events, most all of which have centered around gathering with friends and most all of them have gone late into the evening before the conversations stopped — or at least before I quit talking. I have not,...

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    lenten journal: travel-ku

    by  • March 7, 2013 • 0 Comments

    I am in Asheville, North Carolina staying with friends and will drive over the mountains to Nashville tomorrow for some book events. The evening has been filled with good food and conversation. here we are again old friends making new memories talk with your heart full And now I will sleep. Peace, Milton

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    lenten journal: keep talking

    by  • March 6, 2013 • 3 Comments

    I love a good conversation among friends. We make each other better when we challenge, when we question, and when we dream — together. My post from last night brought three notes my way that kept me thinking and praying about what needs to happen here in our town, across the country, and around...

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    lenten journal: all together now

    by  • March 5, 2013 • 0 Comments

    Tonight was the third in our series of gatherings at church to look at what we can do about poverty in Durham. This week’s session was called “Beyond Charity: Addressing Causes and Empowering People.” We heard from three different groups: Circles of Support, which looks to create support teams of four to ten people...

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    lenten journal: strange reaction

    by  • March 4, 2013 • 5 Comments

    I spent two and a half hours today with the allergist. (Hang in there — I don’t intend to talk about this for the rest of Lent, I promise.) Since I had done without my medications for a week, I was able for them to do some testing on me, which meant I laid...

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    lenten journal: i can hear music

    by  • March 3, 2013 • 7 Comments

    After writing about allergies, I went to bed with metaphors on my mind and woke up thinking about music as both metaphor and soundtrack for life, or at least those thoughts were running in the background. Before I left for church, I listened again to Scott Simon’s interview with Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell...

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