Comedian Steve Martin had a routine in his early days where he talked about how much names matter. He said, for instance, you wanted you bank to be named First Amalgamated Federal National Bank so you felt like your money was safe. If it was called Bob’s Bank you would be less likely to invest…
To reference the Mark Knofler song that shows up at the end of this week’s sermon, this has been a week when I felt like the bug rather than the windshield. I’m hanging in there, and I found helpful insights in Jesus’ parable about the fig tree (Luke 13:1-9). Perhaps they will help you, too….
night vision for Nathan Brown, Poet Laureate of the Apocalypse, on his birthday the moon was up before darkness fell round and bright like the Pixar lamp that turns and looks then it made room for a night-sky filled with tiny desk lamps casting light for one tired poet and another or maybe they are…
evening prayer the world is quiet in our town the moon shines through clouds as if God is under the covers reading with a flashlight I can hear no bombs or see any tracer rockets no buildings are burning no one has to hide to be safe I have done nothing to earn this quiet…
“No one cries over artificial flowers.”–Peter Coyote biscuit king by the time we moved to durham the biscuit king had ended his reign sunny side up was our breakfast joint in guilford till they closed down in charlestown collier’s market made the best cheeseburger sub evah I can chronicle my life in closed down restaurants…
opposition “If war has an opposite, gardens might sometimes be it . . .” –Rebecca Solnit, Orwell’s Roses I used to have a poster that said “peace, like war, is waged” and it made sense then but now I don’t want to be a part of anything like war so when solnit says gardens are…
Barely a week into my Lenten Journal and I am already missing days. One of the reasons is good. A longtime friend came to town for a few days and I spent the evenings talking with him instead of writing. But he’s been gone a couple of days and my depression took over responsibility for…
the grace of never mind the oceans are rising the sky is falling I am careening through an obstacle course of obligations and overdue whatevers I have unread e-mail unanswered notifications unwashed laundry and unmade recipes everything’s important and requires my attention then there’s ukraine and war and washington have you seen today’s headline I’m…
As I say in the opening paragraph of my sermon for the first Sunday in Lent, to preach about the temptations made me want to listen to the Temptations. so, round and around and around we go where the world’s headed, nobody knows oh, great googa-looga, can’t you hear me talking to you just a…
winter wonderland I think winter gets a bad rap it gets blamed for the days getting shorter but that is autumn’s fault every day of winter is a little longer than the last yes, it’s cold but I like the cold it’s also chili and cornbread build a fire bundle up people ask if my…