This week I am at Mennonite USA’s biannual convention, so wanted to say a few words to Christians, of which us Mennonites are only a very small part. So keep in mind that these words are for Christians, in language Christians understand, within their shared tradition. Although you are more than welcome—in fact, you … Continue reading A Few Words For My Divisive, Divided, Dividing Christian Brothers and Sisters
Out of Chaos…Falafel
At the beginning of the ancient Hebrew Scriptures, we are told that God created all that is. But this creation happens in a very specific way, “Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” Water, for the ancient … Continue reading Out of Chaos…Falafel
The Goodness of Grief: Part 10–Like Birds in a Mud Hole
Sometimes you see something that you just can’t unsee. And no, I’m not talking about that scene in episode 3 of that Netflix show you thought was harmless…until suddenly it wasn’t. No, what I’m talking about is one of those things that you see that you know means more than simply what you are seeing. … Continue reading The Goodness of Grief: Part 10–Like Birds in a Mud Hole
The Goodness of Grief: Part 9–Sometimes You Have To Blow Up A Few Balloons
This last Easter season was a sober time for our community. There were a number of local tragedies, national losses, personal laments. What we were feeling in the wake of a cancer diagnosis we were seeing on the faces of those we share our lives with. At first I thought we were projecting a bit. … Continue reading The Goodness of Grief: Part 9–Sometimes You Have To Blow Up A Few Balloons
The Goodness of Grief: Part 8–Saying the Names
A few months back one of my favorite authors, Eugene Peterson, died. He is most widely known for his transliteration of the Hebrew and Greek Scriptures into our present-day vernacular. It’s called The Message. It is a beautiful work. But it is only a small slice of his writings. He has written many other books, … Continue reading The Goodness of Grief: Part 8–Saying the Names
The Goodness of Grief: Part 7–The Griefness of Good
It is easy to recognize grief in the wake of a loss, a disappointment, a tragedy. We know all about these, and about the cycle that follows. We have come a long way in just shining the light on the importance of allowing the process of grieving to take place within us…and so heal. It … Continue reading The Goodness of Grief: Part 7–The Griefness of Good
The Goodness of Grief: Part 6–Genuflecting with Trash
Sometimes you have to genuflect with trash. Early on in the life of Jesus’ followers, there was a common awareness that God had revealed Himself as Father, and through Jesus the Son, and by the movement and presence of God’s Spirit. There was this early belief in a threeness to the Oneness: God is unified, … Continue reading The Goodness of Grief: Part 6–Genuflecting with Trash
The Goodness of Grief: Part 5–What I Can Do When There Is Nothing I Can Do
Speaking in front of people can be intimidating…and dangerous. After over 20 years of speaking to groups large and small, my heart rate still turns up a notch. My head still starts to ache. There might even be a little perspiration going on… And in our context, cards are passed out to those listening so … Continue reading The Goodness of Grief: Part 5–What I Can Do When There Is Nothing I Can Do
The Goodness of Grief: Part 4–Everybody’s Thing
My parents have this saying that I just love, “Everybody’s got their thing.” And what they mean by that is every person we encounter is carrying around with them a trauma, a burden, a rejection, a hurt, a grief. Everybody. I would add this: The only people that don’t have a “thing” are the people … Continue reading The Goodness of Grief: Part 4–Everybody’s Thing
The Goodness of Grief: Part 3–Let Me Tell You About My Other Carbon Footprint
Everyone tells us that the hardest part of the diagnosis is all the tests that you have to run before treatment. Each test promises a restless night of sleep, a wondering if things are actually worse, questions about whether the next step is to administer chemo…or comfort. Brutal. There’s a phrase we tend to use … Continue reading The Goodness of Grief: Part 3–Let Me Tell You About My Other Carbon Footprint