Learning to Be
For the last two years I have been on a contemplative spiritual journey. It has been a journey of recovering the truth that I am a human being, not simply a human doer. As a minister, it’s been a journey …
New Semester, New Season
If a year ago you had told my wife, Kate, and me that we would be trading living by the ocean with living by the mountains, we wouldn’t have believed you. As recent Rhode Islanders, we are excited for this …
University Ministry at Its Finest
Minding the Spiritual Life table at SOAR sessions can be complicated. Like our campus, the new students and their families are quite diverse when it comes to faith and non-faith traditions. There are the new students who hurry by the …
The Pruning Season
“Everything has seasons, and we have to be able to recognize when something’s time has passed and be able to move into the next season. Everything that is alive requires pruning as well, which is a great metaphor for endings.” …
The Importance of Ritual
Every spring our campus engages in a wide variety of annual traditions and rituals, including various inductions, banquets, and special ceremonies. These predictable events have felt especially significant to me this time around as I will no longer be sharing …
Reflection
A friend of mine introduced me to a new term a few weeks ago – “Nadir.” He wrote: Last week I hit the “nadir.” That’s the word used by the nurses to describe the lowest point, seven to ten days …
When Tornadoes Happen
Our area was recently struck by a F2 tornado that wreaked havoc in several of our communities. Homes and businesses were destroyed or damaged. Lives have been displaced and there have been some injuries, but by the Grace of God …
Keeping Vigil
It is midnight as I write this reflection from the waiting room of the Labor and Delivery unit of the VCU Medical Center in Richmond. My second son, Zach, and his wife, Molly, have been here for almost 30 hours …
A Message of Peace
John 20: 19 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 20 After he said this, he showed …
A Forecast of Renewal
I have two friends, one 5 and one 7, who are budding meteorologists. Their snow advice this week was “wear your pajamas inside out, flush ice cubes down the toilet, and stick some spoons in the freezer.” Apparently, these things …