General Posts

oil painting of dark rocks and a grey sky with ocean waves crashing up against the rocks showing white foam

Martin Luther once reflected, in his own down-to-earth way, about how to instruct new believers who already have faith in God as the Father, but who do not as yet believe in the whole Trinity. First, Luther said, encourage themRead More →

front porch with white pillars and a brick foundation and an American flag

Remember the good old days when you didn’t have to lock your doors? When kids could just run outside to play and their parents didn’t have to worry? Those were the days – or maybe not. A Columbia University researcher,Read More →

looking down over Fenway Park the baseball field, the sky is light blue with puffy clouds, the baseball diamond is a reddish soil, there are curves in the green grass from mowing

Sometimes the longest way ‘round is the shortest way there. I aim to talk about Fenway Park here, but first I want to take you around the world of biblical faith, mediated to us, in this case, through some traditionalRead More →

crucifix hanging on a stone church wall, sculpture of Jesus hanging on the cross

Who would even think about praying all the time? But brace yourself. That’s not only possible. It can be a blessing. Over the years I have developed a practice of prayer, which opens up the promise, I believe, of whatRead More →

In the foreground are fir trees, covered in snow. Only the tops are showing. Over the trees we see hazy white mountains.

When my two kids were young enough so that I could carry both of them in my arms, I sometimes found occasions to pick them up, sing a random ditty that I’d make up on the spot, and dance inRead More →

A very young infant, lying on its back, crying. It's eyes are closed and its face is squinched up.

This may have happened to you. You’re at the airport, about to board your flight. People are milling around in the waiting area. Then everybody suddenly turns their heads and looks in the same direction. Why? Somewhere in the midstRead More →

abstract image of blue and purple overlapping dots

So, Rachel Maddow is now doing a major series of podcasts. Almost all the people I know of in public life – or maybe half – now have podcasts. What’s a podcast?* Add to the podcasts: many public-minded souls areRead More →

book cover, abstract painting greens and blue, sense of a forest; text says: EcoActivist Testament: Faith Explorations for Fellow Travelers

In recent months, I have been unashamedly talking about my new book, EcoActivist Testament: Explorations of Faith and Nature for Fellow Travelers (Cascade), with anyone who might be willing to listen. I have particularly sought out younger friends and coworkers,Read More →

old white man in blue jeans and a long sleeved white shirt and baseball cap, swinging a scythe at flowering buckwheat

This is a question I’ve thought about a lot lately, because I’ve recently been reminded, by my daughter and one of her two daughters, that it’s much on the mind of younger generations these days. While those two key womenRead More →