Singing Along the Journey

Author: @susansevier

Christmas 6: When Did You Know?

I remember the first time that I heard, really heard these words in church and believed them in every cell of my body:  "You are loved  Nothing can separate you from the love of God."  That is a kind of incarnated knowledge that changes everything for a person. That day, that knowledge set my feet in a new direction, one that I haltingly follow to this very day. I say haltingly because I, like any other human creature who catches a glimpse of this understanding, simply can't hold on to it every single moment.  I am at least lucky enough to know its possibilities.  And it is the power of…
Read More

Christmas 5: Let the Angels Sing

So far in our journey, we have pondered love, joy and wonder, beauty, and what it means to be the symbol of Christmas.  Today, we ponder the role of imagination in all of this.  We have good company in this pondering, because many before us have recognized the role of imagination in our faith life -- important guides from St. Ignatius to C. S. Lewis to the psychologist Carl Jung.  All have understood the role of imagination in lifting us from our human limitations to a place just a little closer to God.  As C. S. Lewis phrased it, "Reason is the natural organ of truth; imagination is the organ…
Read More

Christmas 4: The Symbol of Christmas

Today, on the fourth day of Christmas, I'm continuing my walk through the season with Bruce Epperly's reflections on the work of Howard Thurman, published in The Work of Christmas.   So far, I have been completely on board with the program and unconcerned by the lack of reference to the lectionary texts I expected, but today the disconnect seems to bother me. Why?  Because today is the feast of the Holy Innocents, a time when we remember the children of Bethlehem who died in blind power's quest to stop this one particular child.  And today, as we sit with the knowledge that in our own world, innocent children are dying because…
Read More

Christmas 3: Learning to See Beauty

It might seem obvious to some, the idea of the beauty of the Christmas season.  But it is not.  And what is beautiful to one person -- the lights, the trees, and all the rest -- may in fact cause others to draw away.  One person's beauty, in this sense, can be another person's pain. The kind of beauty that writer Bruce Epperly talks about is not confined to 12 days in December and January. It is a deeper response to the gift of creation, rather than the celebration of the season. To use Howard Thurman's own words: The quality of Christmas—what is it? It is the fullness with which…
Read More

Christmas 2: Joy and Wonder

Joy is one of my favorite topics, so I was very, well, joyful, when I saw the title for Bruce Epperly's second reflection on the days of Christmas.  I mean, I named my dog Joy -- does that give you a hint about how important the idea of joy is to me?  And I mean joy -- not happiness.  Really, they are two different things altogether. My definition of joy is this:  that feeling of peace that underlies all being (even when we are not aware of it).  I experience joy as a kind of contended hum--almost like the soft purring of a cat.  It is the sound of the…
Read More

Christmas 1: Getting Started on the Journey

Merry Christmas, one and all.  You may have heard me say it before, but, Christmas is not a day.  Christmas is a season.  If you want to read more about that idea, you can do that here or here. This year, I have decided to follow my own advice (a rare occasion I might add), and focus on a practice of reflection and writing for these important days.  I cannot complain that others ignore these days if I myself do not engage them. As my guide on this journey, I have chosen Bruce Epperly's The Work of Christmas, his own reflective journey  spent in dialogue with the works of Howard Thurman,…
Read More

The gift of life…

It seems quite funny to me that in all these years of sharing my thoughts randomly with those of you in the digi-verse, apparently, I have never paused to converse with you about Thanksgiving.  Oh yes, I often express ideas about gratitude and blessing, but I have not paused to reflect on the one day that we as a people set aside each year to remind us, well, to do just that.  I would like to think that that omission is because an attitude of gratitude has been a dominant theme in my life for years. But maybe not.  Thanksgiving, as it was taught to me (and to most of…
Read More

The most priestly work of all…

I would like to say that my current state of mind is a result of the season, but that would be an excuse. The first hint of fall has just arrived in the Mid-Atlantic region -- summer held tight until just yesterday, the grass continued to grow, only the maple leaves show that hint of orange, and some of the flowers began to bloom again after the desperate heat of August.  Meteorological fall may have been here, but the weather had not caught up -- no leaves falling, no crisp, cool air, until today, that is. And yet, despite the lack of atmospheric cues, the wistfulness that many associate with…
Read More

Lux aeterna luceat eis…

One of my favorite parts of Giuseppe Verdi's Requiem is the Lux Aeterna, Movement 6. I've only sung it a few times, but I suppose that I like it so much because the voicing is unexpected.  These beautiful words of peace and comfort are usually given to the soprano to sing, giving them an ethereal presence instead of the more grounded one that comes from a trio made up of the three lower voices: the mezzo, the tenor, and the bass/baritone.  In Verdi's work, It is as if these words are less remote, that they come from our humanity rather than as a blessing from above: Let perpetual light shine upon…
Read More

The unasked and unanswered question…why?

I don't know why I was surprised at the ask...I know what time of year it is.  We welcome yet another class of bright disciples of all ages and stripes to the seminary each year at this time, as the summer heat here in Washington tightens its hold on us all in that last gasp of summer's torment I know so well.  I should know just by the weather that it is that time when I am asked to stand and speak to that new class about my philosophy as a writer and as an editor in the Writing Center. Each year, after I have spoken, I am always shocked…
Read More

Christmas 6: When Did You Know?

I remember the first time that I heard, really heard these words in church and believed them in every cell of my body:  "You are loved  Nothing can separate you from the love of God."  That is a kind of incarnated knowledge that changes everything for a person. That day, that knowledge set my feet in a new direction, one that I haltingly follow to this very day. I say haltingly because I, like any other human creature who catches a glimpse of this understanding, simply can't hold on to it every single moment.  I am at least lucky enough to know its possibilities.  And it is the power of…
Read More

Christmas 5: Let the Angels Sing

So far in our journey, we have pondered love, joy and wonder, beauty, and what it means to be the symbol of Christmas.  Today, we ponder the role of imagination in all of this.  We have good company in this pondering, because many before us have recognized the role of imagination in our faith life -- important guides from St. Ignatius to C. S. Lewis to the psychologist Carl Jung.  All have understood the role of imagination in lifting us from our human limitations to a place just a little closer to God.  As C. S. Lewis phrased it, "Reason is the natural organ of truth; imagination is the organ…
Read More

Christmas 4: The Symbol of Christmas

Today, on the fourth day of Christmas, I'm continuing my walk through the season with Bruce Epperly's reflections on the work of Howard Thurman, published in The Work of Christmas.   So far, I have been completely on board with the program and unconcerned by the lack of reference to the lectionary texts I expected, but today the disconnect seems to bother me. Why?  Because today is the feast of the Holy Innocents, a time when we remember the children of Bethlehem who died in blind power's quest to stop this one particular child.  And today, as we sit with the knowledge that in our own world, innocent children are dying because…
Read More

Christmas 3: Learning to See Beauty

It might seem obvious to some, the idea of the beauty of the Christmas season.  But it is not.  And what is beautiful to one person -- the lights, the trees, and all the rest -- may in fact cause others to draw away.  One person's beauty, in this sense, can be another person's pain. The kind of beauty that writer Bruce Epperly talks about is not confined to 12 days in December and January. It is a deeper response to the gift of creation, rather than the celebration of the season. To use Howard Thurman's own words: The quality of Christmas—what is it? It is the fullness with which…
Read More

Christmas 2: Joy and Wonder

Joy is one of my favorite topics, so I was very, well, joyful, when I saw the title for Bruce Epperly's second reflection on the days of Christmas.  I mean, I named my dog Joy -- does that give you a hint about how important the idea of joy is to me?  And I mean joy -- not happiness.  Really, they are two different things altogether. My definition of joy is this:  that feeling of peace that underlies all being (even when we are not aware of it).  I experience joy as a kind of contended hum--almost like the soft purring of a cat.  It is the sound of the…
Read More

Christmas 1: Getting Started on the Journey

Merry Christmas, one and all.  You may have heard me say it before, but, Christmas is not a day.  Christmas is a season.  If you want to read more about that idea, you can do that here or here. This year, I have decided to follow my own advice (a rare occasion I might add), and focus on a practice of reflection and writing for these important days.  I cannot complain that others ignore these days if I myself do not engage them. As my guide on this journey, I have chosen Bruce Epperly's The Work of Christmas, his own reflective journey  spent in dialogue with the works of Howard Thurman,…
Read More

The gift of life…

It seems quite funny to me that in all these years of sharing my thoughts randomly with those of you in the digi-verse, apparently, I have never paused to converse with you about Thanksgiving.  Oh yes, I often express ideas about gratitude and blessing, but I have not paused to reflect on the one day that we as a people set aside each year to remind us, well, to do just that.  I would like to think that that omission is because an attitude of gratitude has been a dominant theme in my life for years. But maybe not.  Thanksgiving, as it was taught to me (and to most of…
Read More

The most priestly work of all…

I would like to say that my current state of mind is a result of the season, but that would be an excuse. The first hint of fall has just arrived in the Mid-Atlantic region -- summer held tight until just yesterday, the grass continued to grow, only the maple leaves show that hint of orange, and some of the flowers began to bloom again after the desperate heat of August.  Meteorological fall may have been here, but the weather had not caught up -- no leaves falling, no crisp, cool air, until today, that is. And yet, despite the lack of atmospheric cues, the wistfulness that many associate with…
Read More

Lux aeterna luceat eis…

One of my favorite parts of Giuseppe Verdi's Requiem is the Lux Aeterna, Movement 6. I've only sung it a few times, but I suppose that I like it so much because the voicing is unexpected.  These beautiful words of peace and comfort are usually given to the soprano to sing, giving them an ethereal presence instead of the more grounded one that comes from a trio made up of the three lower voices: the mezzo, the tenor, and the bass/baritone.  In Verdi's work, It is as if these words are less remote, that they come from our humanity rather than as a blessing from above: Let perpetual light shine upon…
Read More

The unasked and unanswered question…why?

I don't know why I was surprised at the ask...I know what time of year it is.  We welcome yet another class of bright disciples of all ages and stripes to the seminary each year at this time, as the summer heat here in Washington tightens its hold on us all in that last gasp of summer's torment I know so well.  I should know just by the weather that it is that time when I am asked to stand and speak to that new class about my philosophy as a writer and as an editor in the Writing Center. Each year, after I have spoken, I am always shocked…
Read More

Christmas 6: When Did You Know?

I remember the first time that I heard, really heard these words in church and believed them in every cell of my body:  "You are loved  Nothing can separate you from the love of God."  That is a kind of incarnated knowledge that changes everything for a person. That day, that knowledge set my feet in a new direction, one that I haltingly follow to this very day. I say haltingly because I, like any other human creature who catches a glimpse of this understanding, simply can't hold on to it every single moment.  I am at least lucky enough to know its possibilities.  And it is the power of…
Read More

Christmas 5: Let the Angels Sing

So far in our journey, we have pondered love, joy and wonder, beauty, and what it means to be the symbol of Christmas.  Today, we ponder the role of imagination in all of this.  We have good company in this pondering, because many before us have recognized the role of imagination in our faith life -- important guides from St. Ignatius to C. S. Lewis to the psychologist Carl Jung.  All have understood the role of imagination in lifting us from our human limitations to a place just a little closer to God.  As C. S. Lewis phrased it, "Reason is the natural organ of truth; imagination is the organ…
Read More

Christmas 4: The Symbol of Christmas

Today, on the fourth day of Christmas, I'm continuing my walk through the season with Bruce Epperly's reflections on the work of Howard Thurman, published in The Work of Christmas.   So far, I have been completely on board with the program and unconcerned by the lack of reference to the lectionary texts I expected, but today the disconnect seems to bother me. Why?  Because today is the feast of the Holy Innocents, a time when we remember the children of Bethlehem who died in blind power's quest to stop this one particular child.  And today, as we sit with the knowledge that in our own world, innocent children are dying because…
Read More

Christmas 3: Learning to See Beauty

It might seem obvious to some, the idea of the beauty of the Christmas season.  But it is not.  And what is beautiful to one person -- the lights, the trees, and all the rest -- may in fact cause others to draw away.  One person's beauty, in this sense, can be another person's pain. The kind of beauty that writer Bruce Epperly talks about is not confined to 12 days in December and January. It is a deeper response to the gift of creation, rather than the celebration of the season. To use Howard Thurman's own words: The quality of Christmas—what is it? It is the fullness with which…
Read More

Christmas 2: Joy and Wonder

Joy is one of my favorite topics, so I was very, well, joyful, when I saw the title for Bruce Epperly's second reflection on the days of Christmas.  I mean, I named my dog Joy -- does that give you a hint about how important the idea of joy is to me?  And I mean joy -- not happiness.  Really, they are two different things altogether. My definition of joy is this:  that feeling of peace that underlies all being (even when we are not aware of it).  I experience joy as a kind of contended hum--almost like the soft purring of a cat.  It is the sound of the…
Read More

Christmas 1: Getting Started on the Journey

Merry Christmas, one and all.  You may have heard me say it before, but, Christmas is not a day.  Christmas is a season.  If you want to read more about that idea, you can do that here or here. This year, I have decided to follow my own advice (a rare occasion I might add), and focus on a practice of reflection and writing for these important days.  I cannot complain that others ignore these days if I myself do not engage them. As my guide on this journey, I have chosen Bruce Epperly's The Work of Christmas, his own reflective journey  spent in dialogue with the works of Howard Thurman,…
Read More

The gift of life…

It seems quite funny to me that in all these years of sharing my thoughts randomly with those of you in the digi-verse, apparently, I have never paused to converse with you about Thanksgiving.  Oh yes, I often express ideas about gratitude and blessing, but I have not paused to reflect on the one day that we as a people set aside each year to remind us, well, to do just that.  I would like to think that that omission is because an attitude of gratitude has been a dominant theme in my life for years. But maybe not.  Thanksgiving, as it was taught to me (and to most of…
Read More

The most priestly work of all…

I would like to say that my current state of mind is a result of the season, but that would be an excuse. The first hint of fall has just arrived in the Mid-Atlantic region -- summer held tight until just yesterday, the grass continued to grow, only the maple leaves show that hint of orange, and some of the flowers began to bloom again after the desperate heat of August.  Meteorological fall may have been here, but the weather had not caught up -- no leaves falling, no crisp, cool air, until today, that is. And yet, despite the lack of atmospheric cues, the wistfulness that many associate with…
Read More

Lux aeterna luceat eis…

One of my favorite parts of Giuseppe Verdi's Requiem is the Lux Aeterna, Movement 6. I've only sung it a few times, but I suppose that I like it so much because the voicing is unexpected.  These beautiful words of peace and comfort are usually given to the soprano to sing, giving them an ethereal presence instead of the more grounded one that comes from a trio made up of the three lower voices: the mezzo, the tenor, and the bass/baritone.  In Verdi's work, It is as if these words are less remote, that they come from our humanity rather than as a blessing from above: Let perpetual light shine upon…
Read More

The unasked and unanswered question…why?

I don't know why I was surprised at the ask...I know what time of year it is.  We welcome yet another class of bright disciples of all ages and stripes to the seminary each year at this time, as the summer heat here in Washington tightens its hold on us all in that last gasp of summer's torment I know so well.  I should know just by the weather that it is that time when I am asked to stand and speak to that new class about my philosophy as a writer and as an editor in the Writing Center. Each year, after I have spoken, I am always shocked…
Read More

Christmas 6: When Did You Know?

I remember the first time that I heard, really heard these words in church and believed them in every cell of my body:  "You are loved  Nothing can separate you from the love of God."  That is a kind of incarnated knowledge that changes everything for a person. That day, that knowledge set my feet in a new direction, one that I haltingly follow to this very day. I say haltingly because I, like any other human creature who catches a glimpse of this understanding, simply can't hold on to it every single moment.  I am at least lucky enough to know its possibilities.  And it is the power of…
Read More

Christmas 5: Let the Angels Sing

So far in our journey, we have pondered love, joy and wonder, beauty, and what it means to be the symbol of Christmas.  Today, we ponder the role of imagination in all of this.  We have good company in this pondering, because many before us have recognized the role of imagination in our faith life -- important guides from St. Ignatius to C. S. Lewis to the psychologist Carl Jung.  All have understood the role of imagination in lifting us from our human limitations to a place just a little closer to God.  As C. S. Lewis phrased it, "Reason is the natural organ of truth; imagination is the organ…
Read More

Christmas 4: The Symbol of Christmas

Today, on the fourth day of Christmas, I'm continuing my walk through the season with Bruce Epperly's reflections on the work of Howard Thurman, published in The Work of Christmas.   So far, I have been completely on board with the program and unconcerned by the lack of reference to the lectionary texts I expected, but today the disconnect seems to bother me. Why?  Because today is the feast of the Holy Innocents, a time when we remember the children of Bethlehem who died in blind power's quest to stop this one particular child.  And today, as we sit with the knowledge that in our own world, innocent children are dying because…
Read More

Christmas 3: Learning to See Beauty

It might seem obvious to some, the idea of the beauty of the Christmas season.  But it is not.  And what is beautiful to one person -- the lights, the trees, and all the rest -- may in fact cause others to draw away.  One person's beauty, in this sense, can be another person's pain. The kind of beauty that writer Bruce Epperly talks about is not confined to 12 days in December and January. It is a deeper response to the gift of creation, rather than the celebration of the season. To use Howard Thurman's own words: The quality of Christmas—what is it? It is the fullness with which…
Read More

Christmas 2: Joy and Wonder

Joy is one of my favorite topics, so I was very, well, joyful, when I saw the title for Bruce Epperly's second reflection on the days of Christmas.  I mean, I named my dog Joy -- does that give you a hint about how important the idea of joy is to me?  And I mean joy -- not happiness.  Really, they are two different things altogether. My definition of joy is this:  that feeling of peace that underlies all being (even when we are not aware of it).  I experience joy as a kind of contended hum--almost like the soft purring of a cat.  It is the sound of the…
Read More

Christmas 1: Getting Started on the Journey

Merry Christmas, one and all.  You may have heard me say it before, but, Christmas is not a day.  Christmas is a season.  If you want to read more about that idea, you can do that here or here. This year, I have decided to follow my own advice (a rare occasion I might add), and focus on a practice of reflection and writing for these important days.  I cannot complain that others ignore these days if I myself do not engage them. As my guide on this journey, I have chosen Bruce Epperly's The Work of Christmas, his own reflective journey  spent in dialogue with the works of Howard Thurman,…
Read More

The gift of life…

It seems quite funny to me that in all these years of sharing my thoughts randomly with those of you in the digi-verse, apparently, I have never paused to converse with you about Thanksgiving.  Oh yes, I often express ideas about gratitude and blessing, but I have not paused to reflect on the one day that we as a people set aside each year to remind us, well, to do just that.  I would like to think that that omission is because an attitude of gratitude has been a dominant theme in my life for years. But maybe not.  Thanksgiving, as it was taught to me (and to most of…
Read More

The most priestly work of all…

I would like to say that my current state of mind is a result of the season, but that would be an excuse. The first hint of fall has just arrived in the Mid-Atlantic region -- summer held tight until just yesterday, the grass continued to grow, only the maple leaves show that hint of orange, and some of the flowers began to bloom again after the desperate heat of August.  Meteorological fall may have been here, but the weather had not caught up -- no leaves falling, no crisp, cool air, until today, that is. And yet, despite the lack of atmospheric cues, the wistfulness that many associate with…
Read More

Lux aeterna luceat eis…

One of my favorite parts of Giuseppe Verdi's Requiem is the Lux Aeterna, Movement 6. I've only sung it a few times, but I suppose that I like it so much because the voicing is unexpected.  These beautiful words of peace and comfort are usually given to the soprano to sing, giving them an ethereal presence instead of the more grounded one that comes from a trio made up of the three lower voices: the mezzo, the tenor, and the bass/baritone.  In Verdi's work, It is as if these words are less remote, that they come from our humanity rather than as a blessing from above: Let perpetual light shine upon…
Read More

The unasked and unanswered question…why?

I don't know why I was surprised at the ask...I know what time of year it is.  We welcome yet another class of bright disciples of all ages and stripes to the seminary each year at this time, as the summer heat here in Washington tightens its hold on us all in that last gasp of summer's torment I know so well.  I should know just by the weather that it is that time when I am asked to stand and speak to that new class about my philosophy as a writer and as an editor in the Writing Center. Each year, after I have spoken, I am always shocked…
Read More

Christmas 6: When Did You Know?

I remember the first time that I heard, really heard these words in church and believed them in every cell of my body:  "You are loved  Nothing can separate you from the love of God."  That is a kind of incarnated knowledge that changes everything for a person. That day, that knowledge set my feet in a new direction, one that I haltingly follow to this very day. I say haltingly because I, like any other human creature who catches a glimpse of this understanding, simply can't hold on to it every single moment.  I am at least lucky enough to know its possibilities.  And it is the power of…
Read More

Christmas 5: Let the Angels Sing

So far in our journey, we have pondered love, joy and wonder, beauty, and what it means to be the symbol of Christmas.  Today, we ponder the role of imagination in all of this.  We have good company in this pondering, because many before us have recognized the role of imagination in our faith life -- important guides from St. Ignatius to C. S. Lewis to the psychologist Carl Jung.  All have understood the role of imagination in lifting us from our human limitations to a place just a little closer to God.  As C. S. Lewis phrased it, "Reason is the natural organ of truth; imagination is the organ…
Read More

Christmas 4: The Symbol of Christmas

Today, on the fourth day of Christmas, I'm continuing my walk through the season with Bruce Epperly's reflections on the work of Howard Thurman, published in The Work of Christmas.   So far, I have been completely on board with the program and unconcerned by the lack of reference to the lectionary texts I expected, but today the disconnect seems to bother me. Why?  Because today is the feast of the Holy Innocents, a time when we remember the children of Bethlehem who died in blind power's quest to stop this one particular child.  And today, as we sit with the knowledge that in our own world, innocent children are dying because…
Read More

Christmas 3: Learning to See Beauty

It might seem obvious to some, the idea of the beauty of the Christmas season.  But it is not.  And what is beautiful to one person -- the lights, the trees, and all the rest -- may in fact cause others to draw away.  One person's beauty, in this sense, can be another person's pain. The kind of beauty that writer Bruce Epperly talks about is not confined to 12 days in December and January. It is a deeper response to the gift of creation, rather than the celebration of the season. To use Howard Thurman's own words: The quality of Christmas—what is it? It is the fullness with which…
Read More

Christmas 2: Joy and Wonder

Joy is one of my favorite topics, so I was very, well, joyful, when I saw the title for Bruce Epperly's second reflection on the days of Christmas.  I mean, I named my dog Joy -- does that give you a hint about how important the idea of joy is to me?  And I mean joy -- not happiness.  Really, they are two different things altogether. My definition of joy is this:  that feeling of peace that underlies all being (even when we are not aware of it).  I experience joy as a kind of contended hum--almost like the soft purring of a cat.  It is the sound of the…
Read More

Christmas 1: Getting Started on the Journey

Merry Christmas, one and all.  You may have heard me say it before, but, Christmas is not a day.  Christmas is a season.  If you want to read more about that idea, you can do that here or here. This year, I have decided to follow my own advice (a rare occasion I might add), and focus on a practice of reflection and writing for these important days.  I cannot complain that others ignore these days if I myself do not engage them. As my guide on this journey, I have chosen Bruce Epperly's The Work of Christmas, his own reflective journey  spent in dialogue with the works of Howard Thurman,…
Read More

The gift of life…

It seems quite funny to me that in all these years of sharing my thoughts randomly with those of you in the digi-verse, apparently, I have never paused to converse with you about Thanksgiving.  Oh yes, I often express ideas about gratitude and blessing, but I have not paused to reflect on the one day that we as a people set aside each year to remind us, well, to do just that.  I would like to think that that omission is because an attitude of gratitude has been a dominant theme in my life for years. But maybe not.  Thanksgiving, as it was taught to me (and to most of…
Read More

The most priestly work of all…

I would like to say that my current state of mind is a result of the season, but that would be an excuse. The first hint of fall has just arrived in the Mid-Atlantic region -- summer held tight until just yesterday, the grass continued to grow, only the maple leaves show that hint of orange, and some of the flowers began to bloom again after the desperate heat of August.  Meteorological fall may have been here, but the weather had not caught up -- no leaves falling, no crisp, cool air, until today, that is. And yet, despite the lack of atmospheric cues, the wistfulness that many associate with…
Read More

Lux aeterna luceat eis…

One of my favorite parts of Giuseppe Verdi's Requiem is the Lux Aeterna, Movement 6. I've only sung it a few times, but I suppose that I like it so much because the voicing is unexpected.  These beautiful words of peace and comfort are usually given to the soprano to sing, giving them an ethereal presence instead of the more grounded one that comes from a trio made up of the three lower voices: the mezzo, the tenor, and the bass/baritone.  In Verdi's work, It is as if these words are less remote, that they come from our humanity rather than as a blessing from above: Let perpetual light shine upon…
Read More

The unasked and unanswered question…why?

I don't know why I was surprised at the ask...I know what time of year it is.  We welcome yet another class of bright disciples of all ages and stripes to the seminary each year at this time, as the summer heat here in Washington tightens its hold on us all in that last gasp of summer's torment I know so well.  I should know just by the weather that it is that time when I am asked to stand and speak to that new class about my philosophy as a writer and as an editor in the Writing Center. Each year, after I have spoken, I am always shocked…
Read More

Christmas 6: When Did You Know?

I remember the first time that I heard, really heard these words in church and believed them in every cell of my body:  "You are loved  Nothing can separate you from the love of God."  That is a kind of incarnated knowledge that changes everything for a person. That day, that knowledge set my feet in a new direction, one that I haltingly follow to this very day. I say haltingly because I, like any other human creature who catches a glimpse of this understanding, simply can't hold on to it every single moment.  I am at least lucky enough to know its possibilities.  And it is the power of…
Read More

Christmas 5: Let the Angels Sing

So far in our journey, we have pondered love, joy and wonder, beauty, and what it means to be the symbol of Christmas.  Today, we ponder the role of imagination in all of this.  We have good company in this pondering, because many before us have recognized the role of imagination in our faith life -- important guides from St. Ignatius to C. S. Lewis to the psychologist Carl Jung.  All have understood the role of imagination in lifting us from our human limitations to a place just a little closer to God.  As C. S. Lewis phrased it, "Reason is the natural organ of truth; imagination is the organ…
Read More

Christmas 4: The Symbol of Christmas

Today, on the fourth day of Christmas, I'm continuing my walk through the season with Bruce Epperly's reflections on the work of Howard Thurman, published in The Work of Christmas.   So far, I have been completely on board with the program and unconcerned by the lack of reference to the lectionary texts I expected, but today the disconnect seems to bother me. Why?  Because today is the feast of the Holy Innocents, a time when we remember the children of Bethlehem who died in blind power's quest to stop this one particular child.  And today, as we sit with the knowledge that in our own world, innocent children are dying because…
Read More

Christmas 3: Learning to See Beauty

It might seem obvious to some, the idea of the beauty of the Christmas season.  But it is not.  And what is beautiful to one person -- the lights, the trees, and all the rest -- may in fact cause others to draw away.  One person's beauty, in this sense, can be another person's pain. The kind of beauty that writer Bruce Epperly talks about is not confined to 12 days in December and January. It is a deeper response to the gift of creation, rather than the celebration of the season. To use Howard Thurman's own words: The quality of Christmas—what is it? It is the fullness with which…
Read More

Christmas 2: Joy and Wonder

Joy is one of my favorite topics, so I was very, well, joyful, when I saw the title for Bruce Epperly's second reflection on the days of Christmas.  I mean, I named my dog Joy -- does that give you a hint about how important the idea of joy is to me?  And I mean joy -- not happiness.  Really, they are two different things altogether. My definition of joy is this:  that feeling of peace that underlies all being (even when we are not aware of it).  I experience joy as a kind of contended hum--almost like the soft purring of a cat.  It is the sound of the…
Read More

Christmas 1: Getting Started on the Journey

Merry Christmas, one and all.  You may have heard me say it before, but, Christmas is not a day.  Christmas is a season.  If you want to read more about that idea, you can do that here or here. This year, I have decided to follow my own advice (a rare occasion I might add), and focus on a practice of reflection and writing for these important days.  I cannot complain that others ignore these days if I myself do not engage them. As my guide on this journey, I have chosen Bruce Epperly's The Work of Christmas, his own reflective journey  spent in dialogue with the works of Howard Thurman,…
Read More

The gift of life…

It seems quite funny to me that in all these years of sharing my thoughts randomly with those of you in the digi-verse, apparently, I have never paused to converse with you about Thanksgiving.  Oh yes, I often express ideas about gratitude and blessing, but I have not paused to reflect on the one day that we as a people set aside each year to remind us, well, to do just that.  I would like to think that that omission is because an attitude of gratitude has been a dominant theme in my life for years. But maybe not.  Thanksgiving, as it was taught to me (and to most of…
Read More

The most priestly work of all…

I would like to say that my current state of mind is a result of the season, but that would be an excuse. The first hint of fall has just arrived in the Mid-Atlantic region -- summer held tight until just yesterday, the grass continued to grow, only the maple leaves show that hint of orange, and some of the flowers began to bloom again after the desperate heat of August.  Meteorological fall may have been here, but the weather had not caught up -- no leaves falling, no crisp, cool air, until today, that is. And yet, despite the lack of atmospheric cues, the wistfulness that many associate with…
Read More

Lux aeterna luceat eis…

One of my favorite parts of Giuseppe Verdi's Requiem is the Lux Aeterna, Movement 6. I've only sung it a few times, but I suppose that I like it so much because the voicing is unexpected.  These beautiful words of peace and comfort are usually given to the soprano to sing, giving them an ethereal presence instead of the more grounded one that comes from a trio made up of the three lower voices: the mezzo, the tenor, and the bass/baritone.  In Verdi's work, It is as if these words are less remote, that they come from our humanity rather than as a blessing from above: Let perpetual light shine upon…
Read More

The unasked and unanswered question…why?

I don't know why I was surprised at the ask...I know what time of year it is.  We welcome yet another class of bright disciples of all ages and stripes to the seminary each year at this time, as the summer heat here in Washington tightens its hold on us all in that last gasp of summer's torment I know so well.  I should know just by the weather that it is that time when I am asked to stand and speak to that new class about my philosophy as a writer and as an editor in the Writing Center. Each year, after I have spoken, I am always shocked…
Read More

Christmas 6: When Did You Know?

I remember the first time that I heard, really heard these words in church and believed them in every cell of my body:  "You are loved  Nothing can separate you from the love of God."  That is a kind of incarnated knowledge that changes everything for a person. That day, that knowledge set my feet in a new direction, one that I haltingly follow to this very day. I say haltingly because I, like any other human creature who catches a glimpse of this understanding, simply can't hold on to it every single moment.  I am at least lucky enough to know its possibilities.  And it is the power of…
Read More

Christmas 5: Let the Angels Sing

So far in our journey, we have pondered love, joy and wonder, beauty, and what it means to be the symbol of Christmas.  Today, we ponder the role of imagination in all of this.  We have good company in this pondering, because many before us have recognized the role of imagination in our faith life -- important guides from St. Ignatius to C. S. Lewis to the psychologist Carl Jung.  All have understood the role of imagination in lifting us from our human limitations to a place just a little closer to God.  As C. S. Lewis phrased it, "Reason is the natural organ of truth; imagination is the organ…
Read More

Christmas 4: The Symbol of Christmas

Today, on the fourth day of Christmas, I'm continuing my walk through the season with Bruce Epperly's reflections on the work of Howard Thurman, published in The Work of Christmas.   So far, I have been completely on board with the program and unconcerned by the lack of reference to the lectionary texts I expected, but today the disconnect seems to bother me. Why?  Because today is the feast of the Holy Innocents, a time when we remember the children of Bethlehem who died in blind power's quest to stop this one particular child.  And today, as we sit with the knowledge that in our own world, innocent children are dying because…
Read More

Christmas 3: Learning to See Beauty

It might seem obvious to some, the idea of the beauty of the Christmas season.  But it is not.  And what is beautiful to one person -- the lights, the trees, and all the rest -- may in fact cause others to draw away.  One person's beauty, in this sense, can be another person's pain. The kind of beauty that writer Bruce Epperly talks about is not confined to 12 days in December and January. It is a deeper response to the gift of creation, rather than the celebration of the season. To use Howard Thurman's own words: The quality of Christmas—what is it? It is the fullness with which…
Read More

Christmas 2: Joy and Wonder

Joy is one of my favorite topics, so I was very, well, joyful, when I saw the title for Bruce Epperly's second reflection on the days of Christmas.  I mean, I named my dog Joy -- does that give you a hint about how important the idea of joy is to me?  And I mean joy -- not happiness.  Really, they are two different things altogether. My definition of joy is this:  that feeling of peace that underlies all being (even when we are not aware of it).  I experience joy as a kind of contended hum--almost like the soft purring of a cat.  It is the sound of the…
Read More

Christmas 1: Getting Started on the Journey

Merry Christmas, one and all.  You may have heard me say it before, but, Christmas is not a day.  Christmas is a season.  If you want to read more about that idea, you can do that here or here. This year, I have decided to follow my own advice (a rare occasion I might add), and focus on a practice of reflection and writing for these important days.  I cannot complain that others ignore these days if I myself do not engage them. As my guide on this journey, I have chosen Bruce Epperly's The Work of Christmas, his own reflective journey  spent in dialogue with the works of Howard Thurman,…
Read More

The gift of life…

It seems quite funny to me that in all these years of sharing my thoughts randomly with those of you in the digi-verse, apparently, I have never paused to converse with you about Thanksgiving.  Oh yes, I often express ideas about gratitude and blessing, but I have not paused to reflect on the one day that we as a people set aside each year to remind us, well, to do just that.  I would like to think that that omission is because an attitude of gratitude has been a dominant theme in my life for years. But maybe not.  Thanksgiving, as it was taught to me (and to most of…
Read More

The most priestly work of all…

I would like to say that my current state of mind is a result of the season, but that would be an excuse. The first hint of fall has just arrived in the Mid-Atlantic region -- summer held tight until just yesterday, the grass continued to grow, only the maple leaves show that hint of orange, and some of the flowers began to bloom again after the desperate heat of August.  Meteorological fall may have been here, but the weather had not caught up -- no leaves falling, no crisp, cool air, until today, that is. And yet, despite the lack of atmospheric cues, the wistfulness that many associate with…
Read More

Lux aeterna luceat eis…

One of my favorite parts of Giuseppe Verdi's Requiem is the Lux Aeterna, Movement 6. I've only sung it a few times, but I suppose that I like it so much because the voicing is unexpected.  These beautiful words of peace and comfort are usually given to the soprano to sing, giving them an ethereal presence instead of the more grounded one that comes from a trio made up of the three lower voices: the mezzo, the tenor, and the bass/baritone.  In Verdi's work, It is as if these words are less remote, that they come from our humanity rather than as a blessing from above: Let perpetual light shine upon…
Read More

The unasked and unanswered question…why?

I don't know why I was surprised at the ask...I know what time of year it is.  We welcome yet another class of bright disciples of all ages and stripes to the seminary each year at this time, as the summer heat here in Washington tightens its hold on us all in that last gasp of summer's torment I know so well.  I should know just by the weather that it is that time when I am asked to stand and speak to that new class about my philosophy as a writer and as an editor in the Writing Center. Each year, after I have spoken, I am always shocked…
Read More

Christmas 6: When Did You Know?

I remember the first time that I heard, really heard these words in church and believed them in every cell of my body:  "You are loved  Nothing can separate you from the love of God."  That is a kind of incarnated knowledge that changes everything for a person. That day, that knowledge set my feet in a new direction, one that I haltingly follow to this very day. I say haltingly because I, like any other human creature who catches a glimpse of this understanding, simply can't hold on to it every single moment.  I am at least lucky enough to know its possibilities.  And it is the power of…
Read More

Christmas 5: Let the Angels Sing

So far in our journey, we have pondered love, joy and wonder, beauty, and what it means to be the symbol of Christmas.  Today, we ponder the role of imagination in all of this.  We have good company in this pondering, because many before us have recognized the role of imagination in our faith life -- important guides from St. Ignatius to C. S. Lewis to the psychologist Carl Jung.  All have understood the role of imagination in lifting us from our human limitations to a place just a little closer to God.  As C. S. Lewis phrased it, "Reason is the natural organ of truth; imagination is the organ…
Read More

Christmas 4: The Symbol of Christmas

Today, on the fourth day of Christmas, I'm continuing my walk through the season with Bruce Epperly's reflections on the work of Howard Thurman, published in The Work of Christmas.   So far, I have been completely on board with the program and unconcerned by the lack of reference to the lectionary texts I expected, but today the disconnect seems to bother me. Why?  Because today is the feast of the Holy Innocents, a time when we remember the children of Bethlehem who died in blind power's quest to stop this one particular child.  And today, as we sit with the knowledge that in our own world, innocent children are dying because…
Read More

Christmas 3: Learning to See Beauty

It might seem obvious to some, the idea of the beauty of the Christmas season.  But it is not.  And what is beautiful to one person -- the lights, the trees, and all the rest -- may in fact cause others to draw away.  One person's beauty, in this sense, can be another person's pain. The kind of beauty that writer Bruce Epperly talks about is not confined to 12 days in December and January. It is a deeper response to the gift of creation, rather than the celebration of the season. To use Howard Thurman's own words: The quality of Christmas—what is it? It is the fullness with which…
Read More

Christmas 2: Joy and Wonder

Joy is one of my favorite topics, so I was very, well, joyful, when I saw the title for Bruce Epperly's second reflection on the days of Christmas.  I mean, I named my dog Joy -- does that give you a hint about how important the idea of joy is to me?  And I mean joy -- not happiness.  Really, they are two different things altogether. My definition of joy is this:  that feeling of peace that underlies all being (even when we are not aware of it).  I experience joy as a kind of contended hum--almost like the soft purring of a cat.  It is the sound of the…
Read More

Christmas 1: Getting Started on the Journey

Merry Christmas, one and all.  You may have heard me say it before, but, Christmas is not a day.  Christmas is a season.  If you want to read more about that idea, you can do that here or here. This year, I have decided to follow my own advice (a rare occasion I might add), and focus on a practice of reflection and writing for these important days.  I cannot complain that others ignore these days if I myself do not engage them. As my guide on this journey, I have chosen Bruce Epperly's The Work of Christmas, his own reflective journey  spent in dialogue with the works of Howard Thurman,…
Read More

The gift of life…

It seems quite funny to me that in all these years of sharing my thoughts randomly with those of you in the digi-verse, apparently, I have never paused to converse with you about Thanksgiving.  Oh yes, I often express ideas about gratitude and blessing, but I have not paused to reflect on the one day that we as a people set aside each year to remind us, well, to do just that.  I would like to think that that omission is because an attitude of gratitude has been a dominant theme in my life for years. But maybe not.  Thanksgiving, as it was taught to me (and to most of…
Read More

The most priestly work of all…

I would like to say that my current state of mind is a result of the season, but that would be an excuse. The first hint of fall has just arrived in the Mid-Atlantic region -- summer held tight until just yesterday, the grass continued to grow, only the maple leaves show that hint of orange, and some of the flowers began to bloom again after the desperate heat of August.  Meteorological fall may have been here, but the weather had not caught up -- no leaves falling, no crisp, cool air, until today, that is. And yet, despite the lack of atmospheric cues, the wistfulness that many associate with…
Read More

Lux aeterna luceat eis…

One of my favorite parts of Giuseppe Verdi's Requiem is the Lux Aeterna, Movement 6. I've only sung it a few times, but I suppose that I like it so much because the voicing is unexpected.  These beautiful words of peace and comfort are usually given to the soprano to sing, giving them an ethereal presence instead of the more grounded one that comes from a trio made up of the three lower voices: the mezzo, the tenor, and the bass/baritone.  In Verdi's work, It is as if these words are less remote, that they come from our humanity rather than as a blessing from above: Let perpetual light shine upon…
Read More

The unasked and unanswered question…why?

I don't know why I was surprised at the ask...I know what time of year it is.  We welcome yet another class of bright disciples of all ages and stripes to the seminary each year at this time, as the summer heat here in Washington tightens its hold on us all in that last gasp of summer's torment I know so well.  I should know just by the weather that it is that time when I am asked to stand and speak to that new class about my philosophy as a writer and as an editor in the Writing Center. Each year, after I have spoken, I am always shocked…
Read More

Christmas 6: When Did You Know?

I remember the first time that I heard, really heard these words in church and believed them in every cell of my body:  "You are loved  Nothing can separate you from the love of God."  That is a kind of incarnated knowledge that changes everything for a person. That day, that knowledge set my feet in a new direction, one that I haltingly follow to this very day. I say haltingly because I, like any other human creature who catches a glimpse of this understanding, simply can't hold on to it every single moment.  I am at least lucky enough to know its possibilities.  And it is the power of…
Read More

Christmas 5: Let the Angels Sing

So far in our journey, we have pondered love, joy and wonder, beauty, and what it means to be the symbol of Christmas.  Today, we ponder the role of imagination in all of this.  We have good company in this pondering, because many before us have recognized the role of imagination in our faith life -- important guides from St. Ignatius to C. S. Lewis to the psychologist Carl Jung.  All have understood the role of imagination in lifting us from our human limitations to a place just a little closer to God.  As C. S. Lewis phrased it, "Reason is the natural organ of truth; imagination is the organ…
Read More

Christmas 4: The Symbol of Christmas

Today, on the fourth day of Christmas, I'm continuing my walk through the season with Bruce Epperly's reflections on the work of Howard Thurman, published in The Work of Christmas.   So far, I have been completely on board with the program and unconcerned by the lack of reference to the lectionary texts I expected, but today the disconnect seems to bother me. Why?  Because today is the feast of the Holy Innocents, a time when we remember the children of Bethlehem who died in blind power's quest to stop this one particular child.  And today, as we sit with the knowledge that in our own world, innocent children are dying because…
Read More

Christmas 3: Learning to See Beauty

It might seem obvious to some, the idea of the beauty of the Christmas season.  But it is not.  And what is beautiful to one person -- the lights, the trees, and all the rest -- may in fact cause others to draw away.  One person's beauty, in this sense, can be another person's pain. The kind of beauty that writer Bruce Epperly talks about is not confined to 12 days in December and January. It is a deeper response to the gift of creation, rather than the celebration of the season. To use Howard Thurman's own words: The quality of Christmas—what is it? It is the fullness with which…
Read More

Christmas 2: Joy and Wonder

Joy is one of my favorite topics, so I was very, well, joyful, when I saw the title for Bruce Epperly's second reflection on the days of Christmas.  I mean, I named my dog Joy -- does that give you a hint about how important the idea of joy is to me?  And I mean joy -- not happiness.  Really, they are two different things altogether. My definition of joy is this:  that feeling of peace that underlies all being (even when we are not aware of it).  I experience joy as a kind of contended hum--almost like the soft purring of a cat.  It is the sound of the…
Read More

Christmas 1: Getting Started on the Journey

Merry Christmas, one and all.  You may have heard me say it before, but, Christmas is not a day.  Christmas is a season.  If you want to read more about that idea, you can do that here or here. This year, I have decided to follow my own advice (a rare occasion I might add), and focus on a practice of reflection and writing for these important days.  I cannot complain that others ignore these days if I myself do not engage them. As my guide on this journey, I have chosen Bruce Epperly's The Work of Christmas, his own reflective journey  spent in dialogue with the works of Howard Thurman,…
Read More

The gift of life…

It seems quite funny to me that in all these years of sharing my thoughts randomly with those of you in the digi-verse, apparently, I have never paused to converse with you about Thanksgiving.  Oh yes, I often express ideas about gratitude and blessing, but I have not paused to reflect on the one day that we as a people set aside each year to remind us, well, to do just that.  I would like to think that that omission is because an attitude of gratitude has been a dominant theme in my life for years. But maybe not.  Thanksgiving, as it was taught to me (and to most of…
Read More

The most priestly work of all…

I would like to say that my current state of mind is a result of the season, but that would be an excuse. The first hint of fall has just arrived in the Mid-Atlantic region -- summer held tight until just yesterday, the grass continued to grow, only the maple leaves show that hint of orange, and some of the flowers began to bloom again after the desperate heat of August.  Meteorological fall may have been here, but the weather had not caught up -- no leaves falling, no crisp, cool air, until today, that is. And yet, despite the lack of atmospheric cues, the wistfulness that many associate with…
Read More

Lux aeterna luceat eis…

One of my favorite parts of Giuseppe Verdi's Requiem is the Lux Aeterna, Movement 6. I've only sung it a few times, but I suppose that I like it so much because the voicing is unexpected.  These beautiful words of peace and comfort are usually given to the soprano to sing, giving them an ethereal presence instead of the more grounded one that comes from a trio made up of the three lower voices: the mezzo, the tenor, and the bass/baritone.  In Verdi's work, It is as if these words are less remote, that they come from our humanity rather than as a blessing from above: Let perpetual light shine upon…
Read More

The unasked and unanswered question…why?

I don't know why I was surprised at the ask...I know what time of year it is.  We welcome yet another class of bright disciples of all ages and stripes to the seminary each year at this time, as the summer heat here in Washington tightens its hold on us all in that last gasp of summer's torment I know so well.  I should know just by the weather that it is that time when I am asked to stand and speak to that new class about my philosophy as a writer and as an editor in the Writing Center. Each year, after I have spoken, I am always shocked…
Read More

Christmas 6: When Did You Know?

I remember the first time that I heard, really heard these words in church and believed them in every cell of my body:  "You are loved  Nothing can separate you from the love of God."  That is a kind of incarnated knowledge that changes everything for a person. That day, that knowledge set my feet in a new direction, one that I haltingly follow to this very day. I say haltingly because I, like any other human creature who catches a glimpse of this understanding, simply can't hold on to it every single moment.  I am at least lucky enough to know its possibilities.  And it is the power of…
Read More

Christmas 5: Let the Angels Sing

So far in our journey, we have pondered love, joy and wonder, beauty, and what it means to be the symbol of Christmas.  Today, we ponder the role of imagination in all of this.  We have good company in this pondering, because many before us have recognized the role of imagination in our faith life -- important guides from St. Ignatius to C. S. Lewis to the psychologist Carl Jung.  All have understood the role of imagination in lifting us from our human limitations to a place just a little closer to God.  As C. S. Lewis phrased it, "Reason is the natural organ of truth; imagination is the organ…
Read More

Christmas 4: The Symbol of Christmas

Today, on the fourth day of Christmas, I'm continuing my walk through the season with Bruce Epperly's reflections on the work of Howard Thurman, published in The Work of Christmas.   So far, I have been completely on board with the program and unconcerned by the lack of reference to the lectionary texts I expected, but today the disconnect seems to bother me. Why?  Because today is the feast of the Holy Innocents, a time when we remember the children of Bethlehem who died in blind power's quest to stop this one particular child.  And today, as we sit with the knowledge that in our own world, innocent children are dying because…
Read More

Christmas 3: Learning to See Beauty

It might seem obvious to some, the idea of the beauty of the Christmas season.  But it is not.  And what is beautiful to one person -- the lights, the trees, and all the rest -- may in fact cause others to draw away.  One person's beauty, in this sense, can be another person's pain. The kind of beauty that writer Bruce Epperly talks about is not confined to 12 days in December and January. It is a deeper response to the gift of creation, rather than the celebration of the season. To use Howard Thurman's own words: The quality of Christmas—what is it? It is the fullness with which…
Read More

Christmas 2: Joy and Wonder

Joy is one of my favorite topics, so I was very, well, joyful, when I saw the title for Bruce Epperly's second reflection on the days of Christmas.  I mean, I named my dog Joy -- does that give you a hint about how important the idea of joy is to me?  And I mean joy -- not happiness.  Really, they are two different things altogether. My definition of joy is this:  that feeling of peace that underlies all being (even when we are not aware of it).  I experience joy as a kind of contended hum--almost like the soft purring of a cat.  It is the sound of the…
Read More

Christmas 1: Getting Started on the Journey

Merry Christmas, one and all.  You may have heard me say it before, but, Christmas is not a day.  Christmas is a season.  If you want to read more about that idea, you can do that here or here. This year, I have decided to follow my own advice (a rare occasion I might add), and focus on a practice of reflection and writing for these important days.  I cannot complain that others ignore these days if I myself do not engage them. As my guide on this journey, I have chosen Bruce Epperly's The Work of Christmas, his own reflective journey  spent in dialogue with the works of Howard Thurman,…
Read More

The gift of life…

It seems quite funny to me that in all these years of sharing my thoughts randomly with those of you in the digi-verse, apparently, I have never paused to converse with you about Thanksgiving.  Oh yes, I often express ideas about gratitude and blessing, but I have not paused to reflect on the one day that we as a people set aside each year to remind us, well, to do just that.  I would like to think that that omission is because an attitude of gratitude has been a dominant theme in my life for years. But maybe not.  Thanksgiving, as it was taught to me (and to most of…
Read More

The most priestly work of all…

I would like to say that my current state of mind is a result of the season, but that would be an excuse. The first hint of fall has just arrived in the Mid-Atlantic region -- summer held tight until just yesterday, the grass continued to grow, only the maple leaves show that hint of orange, and some of the flowers began to bloom again after the desperate heat of August.  Meteorological fall may have been here, but the weather had not caught up -- no leaves falling, no crisp, cool air, until today, that is. And yet, despite the lack of atmospheric cues, the wistfulness that many associate with…
Read More

Lux aeterna luceat eis…

One of my favorite parts of Giuseppe Verdi's Requiem is the Lux Aeterna, Movement 6. I've only sung it a few times, but I suppose that I like it so much because the voicing is unexpected.  These beautiful words of peace and comfort are usually given to the soprano to sing, giving them an ethereal presence instead of the more grounded one that comes from a trio made up of the three lower voices: the mezzo, the tenor, and the bass/baritone.  In Verdi's work, It is as if these words are less remote, that they come from our humanity rather than as a blessing from above: Let perpetual light shine upon…
Read More

The unasked and unanswered question…why?

I don't know why I was surprised at the ask...I know what time of year it is.  We welcome yet another class of bright disciples of all ages and stripes to the seminary each year at this time, as the summer heat here in Washington tightens its hold on us all in that last gasp of summer's torment I know so well.  I should know just by the weather that it is that time when I am asked to stand and speak to that new class about my philosophy as a writer and as an editor in the Writing Center. Each year, after I have spoken, I am always shocked…
Read More