Month: December 2016

A Community of Prophecy

Each new year I begin by making a Vision Collage. This is a mosaic of cut-out images from old magazines that when pasted together somehow convey new meaning. This process has become a ritual, a way of looking ahead and engaging the poetic imagination in … read more.

Pluralism

After my Christmas Eve sermon,  I was approached by a white U.S. citizen who was quite “disturbed” both by my message (about sanctuary for refugees and immigrants) and by the collection we took (to assist refugees resettling in the area). The conversation went something like … read more.

With Quiet Contemplation

On the day after Thanksgiving, I walked through cemeteries. For many years, this has been my Black Friday tradition, as I like to begin the holiday season with quiet contemplation.

This year, my walk took me to the gravesites of spiritual ancestors in my hometown of … read more.

Presence in Action

The program theme for the month of December is “Presence” and the question that we ask is: “What does it mean to be a community of presence?”  Hmm.  It would seem to me that presence is a requirement for most communities. What would a “community … read more.

Annoying Presence

Your presence is annoying!” With that declaration to his sister, my teenage son ended all negotiations about who among his four younger siblings would sit where during our family’s annual five hour drive to grandma’s house for Thanksgiving dinner.

 

The “annoying presence” argument was new, and … read more.