Singing Along the Journey

Advent

Testifying to the light

Today is the second Sunday of Advent when we light the candle of peace in my faith community, and I am sitting at my desk, looking out the window, watching the few snow flakes that came disappear and change to freezing rain. What we meditate upon each week in Advent is not set by some great rule book; different communities follow different patterns and in my church family it happens to be Hope, Peace, Joy, Love.  Other churches follow other rituals:  for the Methodists, the Sundays represent expectation, hope, joy, and purity; sometimes it is promise, light, love and hope...you see the point; the meaning of this Sunday can be different,…
Read More

Watch for the dawn…

Everywhere in the world I have traveled, on at least one day, I make it a point to rise in the dark, grab my camera, and go to some advantageous point to sit and wait for the sunrise.  Some people like sunsets; I crave the moment when dawn breaks.  The picture I've included here is a picture of the sun rising over the Sea of Galilee, but I could just as easily have shown you dawn over Mexico, Spain, Bulgaria, Arizona and many other places...you can imagine that my photo file is somewhat difficult to manage. You see, in that moment when darkness becomes light, I see all the possibilities…
Read More

The right word…

Do you ever sit and struggle to find just that right word to say what is in your heart?  I know I do.  I am not a person who reworks what I write a lot...and you can probably tell that when you find a misspelling here or there or a wrongly used clause or some of the other mistakes I make while dashing on one of these pieces about "what I think" about such and such. But years of therapy and spiritual direction and reading and writing have taught me that words do indeed have power and must be chosen carefully. So what about those times when we know the word…
Read More

Listen carefully…

I am a person inspired by tradition.  My original academic training was all about tradition - first I studied medieval history and then ancient history and then archaeology.  I worked as a librarian, preserving the written works and the documents that make up our cultural tradition.  I studied classical music and worked as a recitalist and an opera singer:  again, an art dependent on and preserving of tradition (with apologies to my friends who are living composers).  And now what do I do?  I attend seminary, studying and learning about what many consider to be the most tradition-bound subject of all -- church, and yes, even GOD. Tradition, continuity with…
Read More

Knowing it in your bones…

If you described my religious identity as a child as, well, confused, you would be generous.  Raised and confirmed Presbyterian, reading the Daily Word from Unity School of Religious Science every morning with my vitamins as I left to school, attending Sunday school at the United Church of Christ, going to Youth Group with my friends at the United Methodist church.  And in the quiet hours of Advent, alone in my room, building what I thought looked like a reasonable approximation of a Catholic altar -- putting a nativity on one side of the dresser and a lit Christmas tree on the other (before you liturgical purists get all up…
Read More

Getting ready to wait…

For these past many years (at least 5 or 6 of them), each Advent I have carefully followed a discipline of reading and prayer. But in this year when everything has been changed (really, aren't they all that way), I have decided to follow a different kind of devotional practice.  Instead of reading someone else's reflection, I am going to create my own reflections for the season. This is a little bit like the time that I entered into an unholy blog-post-a-day-for-thirty-days pact with a couple of pastors.  I find myself in the place where I need to get my writing and reflecting juices flowing, flowing like a great big…
Read More

Testifying to the light

Today is the second Sunday of Advent when we light the candle of peace in my faith community, and I am sitting at my desk, looking out the window, watching the few snow flakes that came disappear and change to freezing rain. What we meditate upon each week in Advent is not set by some great rule book; different communities follow different patterns and in my church family it happens to be Hope, Peace, Joy, Love.  Other churches follow other rituals:  for the Methodists, the Sundays represent expectation, hope, joy, and purity; sometimes it is promise, light, love and hope...you see the point; the meaning of this Sunday can be different,…
Read More

Watch for the dawn…

Everywhere in the world I have traveled, on at least one day, I make it a point to rise in the dark, grab my camera, and go to some advantageous point to sit and wait for the sunrise.  Some people like sunsets; I crave the moment when dawn breaks.  The picture I've included here is a picture of the sun rising over the Sea of Galilee, but I could just as easily have shown you dawn over Mexico, Spain, Bulgaria, Arizona and many other places...you can imagine that my photo file is somewhat difficult to manage. You see, in that moment when darkness becomes light, I see all the possibilities…
Read More

The right word…

Do you ever sit and struggle to find just that right word to say what is in your heart?  I know I do.  I am not a person who reworks what I write a lot...and you can probably tell that when you find a misspelling here or there or a wrongly used clause or some of the other mistakes I make while dashing on one of these pieces about "what I think" about such and such. But years of therapy and spiritual direction and reading and writing have taught me that words do indeed have power and must be chosen carefully. So what about those times when we know the word…
Read More

Listen carefully…

I am a person inspired by tradition.  My original academic training was all about tradition - first I studied medieval history and then ancient history and then archaeology.  I worked as a librarian, preserving the written works and the documents that make up our cultural tradition.  I studied classical music and worked as a recitalist and an opera singer:  again, an art dependent on and preserving of tradition (with apologies to my friends who are living composers).  And now what do I do?  I attend seminary, studying and learning about what many consider to be the most tradition-bound subject of all -- church, and yes, even GOD. Tradition, continuity with…
Read More

Knowing it in your bones…

If you described my religious identity as a child as, well, confused, you would be generous.  Raised and confirmed Presbyterian, reading the Daily Word from Unity School of Religious Science every morning with my vitamins as I left to school, attending Sunday school at the United Church of Christ, going to Youth Group with my friends at the United Methodist church.  And in the quiet hours of Advent, alone in my room, building what I thought looked like a reasonable approximation of a Catholic altar -- putting a nativity on one side of the dresser and a lit Christmas tree on the other (before you liturgical purists get all up…
Read More

Getting ready to wait…

For these past many years (at least 5 or 6 of them), each Advent I have carefully followed a discipline of reading and prayer. But in this year when everything has been changed (really, aren't they all that way), I have decided to follow a different kind of devotional practice.  Instead of reading someone else's reflection, I am going to create my own reflections for the season. This is a little bit like the time that I entered into an unholy blog-post-a-day-for-thirty-days pact with a couple of pastors.  I find myself in the place where I need to get my writing and reflecting juices flowing, flowing like a great big…
Read More

Testifying to the light

Today is the second Sunday of Advent when we light the candle of peace in my faith community, and I am sitting at my desk, looking out the window, watching the few snow flakes that came disappear and change to freezing rain. What we meditate upon each week in Advent is not set by some great rule book; different communities follow different patterns and in my church family it happens to be Hope, Peace, Joy, Love.  Other churches follow other rituals:  for the Methodists, the Sundays represent expectation, hope, joy, and purity; sometimes it is promise, light, love and hope...you see the point; the meaning of this Sunday can be different,…
Read More

Watch for the dawn…

Everywhere in the world I have traveled, on at least one day, I make it a point to rise in the dark, grab my camera, and go to some advantageous point to sit and wait for the sunrise.  Some people like sunsets; I crave the moment when dawn breaks.  The picture I've included here is a picture of the sun rising over the Sea of Galilee, but I could just as easily have shown you dawn over Mexico, Spain, Bulgaria, Arizona and many other places...you can imagine that my photo file is somewhat difficult to manage. You see, in that moment when darkness becomes light, I see all the possibilities…
Read More

The right word…

Do you ever sit and struggle to find just that right word to say what is in your heart?  I know I do.  I am not a person who reworks what I write a lot...and you can probably tell that when you find a misspelling here or there or a wrongly used clause or some of the other mistakes I make while dashing on one of these pieces about "what I think" about such and such. But years of therapy and spiritual direction and reading and writing have taught me that words do indeed have power and must be chosen carefully. So what about those times when we know the word…
Read More

Listen carefully…

I am a person inspired by tradition.  My original academic training was all about tradition - first I studied medieval history and then ancient history and then archaeology.  I worked as a librarian, preserving the written works and the documents that make up our cultural tradition.  I studied classical music and worked as a recitalist and an opera singer:  again, an art dependent on and preserving of tradition (with apologies to my friends who are living composers).  And now what do I do?  I attend seminary, studying and learning about what many consider to be the most tradition-bound subject of all -- church, and yes, even GOD. Tradition, continuity with…
Read More

Knowing it in your bones…

If you described my religious identity as a child as, well, confused, you would be generous.  Raised and confirmed Presbyterian, reading the Daily Word from Unity School of Religious Science every morning with my vitamins as I left to school, attending Sunday school at the United Church of Christ, going to Youth Group with my friends at the United Methodist church.  And in the quiet hours of Advent, alone in my room, building what I thought looked like a reasonable approximation of a Catholic altar -- putting a nativity on one side of the dresser and a lit Christmas tree on the other (before you liturgical purists get all up…
Read More

Getting ready to wait…

For these past many years (at least 5 or 6 of them), each Advent I have carefully followed a discipline of reading and prayer. But in this year when everything has been changed (really, aren't they all that way), I have decided to follow a different kind of devotional practice.  Instead of reading someone else's reflection, I am going to create my own reflections for the season. This is a little bit like the time that I entered into an unholy blog-post-a-day-for-thirty-days pact with a couple of pastors.  I find myself in the place where I need to get my writing and reflecting juices flowing, flowing like a great big…
Read More

Testifying to the light

Today is the second Sunday of Advent when we light the candle of peace in my faith community, and I am sitting at my desk, looking out the window, watching the few snow flakes that came disappear and change to freezing rain. What we meditate upon each week in Advent is not set by some great rule book; different communities follow different patterns and in my church family it happens to be Hope, Peace, Joy, Love.  Other churches follow other rituals:  for the Methodists, the Sundays represent expectation, hope, joy, and purity; sometimes it is promise, light, love and hope...you see the point; the meaning of this Sunday can be different,…
Read More

Watch for the dawn…

Everywhere in the world I have traveled, on at least one day, I make it a point to rise in the dark, grab my camera, and go to some advantageous point to sit and wait for the sunrise.  Some people like sunsets; I crave the moment when dawn breaks.  The picture I've included here is a picture of the sun rising over the Sea of Galilee, but I could just as easily have shown you dawn over Mexico, Spain, Bulgaria, Arizona and many other places...you can imagine that my photo file is somewhat difficult to manage. You see, in that moment when darkness becomes light, I see all the possibilities…
Read More

The right word…

Do you ever sit and struggle to find just that right word to say what is in your heart?  I know I do.  I am not a person who reworks what I write a lot...and you can probably tell that when you find a misspelling here or there or a wrongly used clause or some of the other mistakes I make while dashing on one of these pieces about "what I think" about such and such. But years of therapy and spiritual direction and reading and writing have taught me that words do indeed have power and must be chosen carefully. So what about those times when we know the word…
Read More

Listen carefully…

I am a person inspired by tradition.  My original academic training was all about tradition - first I studied medieval history and then ancient history and then archaeology.  I worked as a librarian, preserving the written works and the documents that make up our cultural tradition.  I studied classical music and worked as a recitalist and an opera singer:  again, an art dependent on and preserving of tradition (with apologies to my friends who are living composers).  And now what do I do?  I attend seminary, studying and learning about what many consider to be the most tradition-bound subject of all -- church, and yes, even GOD. Tradition, continuity with…
Read More

Knowing it in your bones…

If you described my religious identity as a child as, well, confused, you would be generous.  Raised and confirmed Presbyterian, reading the Daily Word from Unity School of Religious Science every morning with my vitamins as I left to school, attending Sunday school at the United Church of Christ, going to Youth Group with my friends at the United Methodist church.  And in the quiet hours of Advent, alone in my room, building what I thought looked like a reasonable approximation of a Catholic altar -- putting a nativity on one side of the dresser and a lit Christmas tree on the other (before you liturgical purists get all up…
Read More

Getting ready to wait…

For these past many years (at least 5 or 6 of them), each Advent I have carefully followed a discipline of reading and prayer. But in this year when everything has been changed (really, aren't they all that way), I have decided to follow a different kind of devotional practice.  Instead of reading someone else's reflection, I am going to create my own reflections for the season. This is a little bit like the time that I entered into an unholy blog-post-a-day-for-thirty-days pact with a couple of pastors.  I find myself in the place where I need to get my writing and reflecting juices flowing, flowing like a great big…
Read More

Testifying to the light

Today is the second Sunday of Advent when we light the candle of peace in my faith community, and I am sitting at my desk, looking out the window, watching the few snow flakes that came disappear and change to freezing rain. What we meditate upon each week in Advent is not set by some great rule book; different communities follow different patterns and in my church family it happens to be Hope, Peace, Joy, Love.  Other churches follow other rituals:  for the Methodists, the Sundays represent expectation, hope, joy, and purity; sometimes it is promise, light, love and hope...you see the point; the meaning of this Sunday can be different,…
Read More

Watch for the dawn…

Everywhere in the world I have traveled, on at least one day, I make it a point to rise in the dark, grab my camera, and go to some advantageous point to sit and wait for the sunrise.  Some people like sunsets; I crave the moment when dawn breaks.  The picture I've included here is a picture of the sun rising over the Sea of Galilee, but I could just as easily have shown you dawn over Mexico, Spain, Bulgaria, Arizona and many other places...you can imagine that my photo file is somewhat difficult to manage. You see, in that moment when darkness becomes light, I see all the possibilities…
Read More

The right word…

Do you ever sit and struggle to find just that right word to say what is in your heart?  I know I do.  I am not a person who reworks what I write a lot...and you can probably tell that when you find a misspelling here or there or a wrongly used clause or some of the other mistakes I make while dashing on one of these pieces about "what I think" about such and such. But years of therapy and spiritual direction and reading and writing have taught me that words do indeed have power and must be chosen carefully. So what about those times when we know the word…
Read More

Listen carefully…

I am a person inspired by tradition.  My original academic training was all about tradition - first I studied medieval history and then ancient history and then archaeology.  I worked as a librarian, preserving the written works and the documents that make up our cultural tradition.  I studied classical music and worked as a recitalist and an opera singer:  again, an art dependent on and preserving of tradition (with apologies to my friends who are living composers).  And now what do I do?  I attend seminary, studying and learning about what many consider to be the most tradition-bound subject of all -- church, and yes, even GOD. Tradition, continuity with…
Read More

Knowing it in your bones…

If you described my religious identity as a child as, well, confused, you would be generous.  Raised and confirmed Presbyterian, reading the Daily Word from Unity School of Religious Science every morning with my vitamins as I left to school, attending Sunday school at the United Church of Christ, going to Youth Group with my friends at the United Methodist church.  And in the quiet hours of Advent, alone in my room, building what I thought looked like a reasonable approximation of a Catholic altar -- putting a nativity on one side of the dresser and a lit Christmas tree on the other (before you liturgical purists get all up…
Read More

Getting ready to wait…

For these past many years (at least 5 or 6 of them), each Advent I have carefully followed a discipline of reading and prayer. But in this year when everything has been changed (really, aren't they all that way), I have decided to follow a different kind of devotional practice.  Instead of reading someone else's reflection, I am going to create my own reflections for the season. This is a little bit like the time that I entered into an unholy blog-post-a-day-for-thirty-days pact with a couple of pastors.  I find myself in the place where I need to get my writing and reflecting juices flowing, flowing like a great big…
Read More

Testifying to the light

Today is the second Sunday of Advent when we light the candle of peace in my faith community, and I am sitting at my desk, looking out the window, watching the few snow flakes that came disappear and change to freezing rain. What we meditate upon each week in Advent is not set by some great rule book; different communities follow different patterns and in my church family it happens to be Hope, Peace, Joy, Love.  Other churches follow other rituals:  for the Methodists, the Sundays represent expectation, hope, joy, and purity; sometimes it is promise, light, love and hope...you see the point; the meaning of this Sunday can be different,…
Read More

Watch for the dawn…

Everywhere in the world I have traveled, on at least one day, I make it a point to rise in the dark, grab my camera, and go to some advantageous point to sit and wait for the sunrise.  Some people like sunsets; I crave the moment when dawn breaks.  The picture I've included here is a picture of the sun rising over the Sea of Galilee, but I could just as easily have shown you dawn over Mexico, Spain, Bulgaria, Arizona and many other places...you can imagine that my photo file is somewhat difficult to manage. You see, in that moment when darkness becomes light, I see all the possibilities…
Read More

The right word…

Do you ever sit and struggle to find just that right word to say what is in your heart?  I know I do.  I am not a person who reworks what I write a lot...and you can probably tell that when you find a misspelling here or there or a wrongly used clause or some of the other mistakes I make while dashing on one of these pieces about "what I think" about such and such. But years of therapy and spiritual direction and reading and writing have taught me that words do indeed have power and must be chosen carefully. So what about those times when we know the word…
Read More

Listen carefully…

I am a person inspired by tradition.  My original academic training was all about tradition - first I studied medieval history and then ancient history and then archaeology.  I worked as a librarian, preserving the written works and the documents that make up our cultural tradition.  I studied classical music and worked as a recitalist and an opera singer:  again, an art dependent on and preserving of tradition (with apologies to my friends who are living composers).  And now what do I do?  I attend seminary, studying and learning about what many consider to be the most tradition-bound subject of all -- church, and yes, even GOD. Tradition, continuity with…
Read More

Knowing it in your bones…

If you described my religious identity as a child as, well, confused, you would be generous.  Raised and confirmed Presbyterian, reading the Daily Word from Unity School of Religious Science every morning with my vitamins as I left to school, attending Sunday school at the United Church of Christ, going to Youth Group with my friends at the United Methodist church.  And in the quiet hours of Advent, alone in my room, building what I thought looked like a reasonable approximation of a Catholic altar -- putting a nativity on one side of the dresser and a lit Christmas tree on the other (before you liturgical purists get all up…
Read More

Getting ready to wait…

For these past many years (at least 5 or 6 of them), each Advent I have carefully followed a discipline of reading and prayer. But in this year when everything has been changed (really, aren't they all that way), I have decided to follow a different kind of devotional practice.  Instead of reading someone else's reflection, I am going to create my own reflections for the season. This is a little bit like the time that I entered into an unholy blog-post-a-day-for-thirty-days pact with a couple of pastors.  I find myself in the place where I need to get my writing and reflecting juices flowing, flowing like a great big…
Read More