In my first year of seminary, one of my professors suggested an exercise to our class that sounded fairly simple. He encouraged us to go to a public place, such as a shopping mall, and to watch people. “Note your reactions to those you see,” he told us. “You will be drawn to some. But others, just by their […]
Perspective
How would you tell the story of your life in six words? That’s the goal of a writing practice called the six-word essay (or memoir). When I first learned about them, I decided to try it. Here’s my six-word life: “Seeking to respond to God’s generosity.” But as beautiful as that story is, I’m not convinced it’s the one I’m living. […]
When Our Words Are Sung
My wife has the ability to hear a song one time and then sing every word (and hit every note, by the way) the very next time she hears it. She has apparently passed that trait down to her children, because I routinely hear them doing the same thing. While that can be a good thing, […]
Awakened by a Blessing
There’s a bagel shop near my daughters’ school where I sometimes grab a cup of coffee while killing time between appointments. I’m not sure how many times I had passed through the shop’s glass doorway before I finally noticed a sticker that someone had stuck there at eye-level. “You are beautiful,” it announced, bestowing a blessing on me as I passed. As […]
Confusing Grace
Grace may be amazing, but it can also be confusing. It was that confusing grace that surrounded me yesterday while standing in a parking lot in Montreat, North Carolina. And it showed up so unexpectedly that it left me scrambling for words. The day before, I had traveled to Montreat to visit cherished friends who […]
Easter Through a Prism of Tears
Sermon for Sunday, March 27, 2016, Easter Sunday Sermon Text: John 20:1-18 Preached at Massanutten Presbyterian Church, Penn Laird, VA While it was still dark…. There’s just something about that phrase John uses. He didn’t just say, “Early on the first day of the week,” which might have been enough for most people describing […]