Singing Along the Journey

Calling

I was never that good at math…

I was never that good at math, at least not since my high school algebra teacher, Mr. Hoskins, accused me of having my father do my homework for me while I was out sick (he just couldn't believe that a GIRL would come back from a week away with all her equations completed -- and why did he think my mother called every day to get the homework assignment...and clearly, he never ever met my father if he thought that HE had done the homework...and clearly I still have unresolved issues about this episode).    And so imagine my surprise when I realized that my life and even my journey of faith…
Read More

Call does not equal bliss…

I've been struggling with some tasks and responsibilities in my life lately, things that I have committed to do and things for which I have a great deal of talent, but things that, well, are really part of a life I walked away from many years ago.  I'm getting them done, but I am not very happy about it.  And I keep asking myself, and some others suggest to me that perhaps this discomfort springs from the fact that while I'm skilled at these tasks, perhaps I am not called to do them.  Perhaps I am in fact giving in to my over-functioning self by taking them on, perhaps my participation is…
Read More

A first semester report card…

Not that kind of report card.    Well, a little bit that-kind-of-report-card. I've had the chance to learn a lot about what it means to be part of a liturgically-based denomination in my first months at seminary and I must admit that I'm intrigued by some of the traditions,how they developed over the years and how they manifest themselves in the 21st century.  One of these practices refers to something called  Ember days.  Mostly, I hear people talking about Ember days because those are the days that, by tradition, the students are expected to communicate in some way (the format often depends on the technology-savvy nature of their individual bishops)…
Read More

Say yes to life…

In my early days as a cantor and church soloist, I worked in a congregation affiliated with Unity School of Christianity.  It just so happened that that was also my denominational affiliation at the time.  I always think about those days around the New Year, because I do miss the rhythm of having a New Year's Eve Service and church party every year. One of the things Unity used to be best at was the creation of simple songs set to familiar, catchy tunes that would stick in your head and just never ever leave.  While singing and worshiping there, I often had the opportunity to lead the congregation in…
Read More

A travelling exegesis…

I am probably the only person you know who would choose to procrastinate about a writing project by writing something else.  But here I am.  And even though the rest of my time today will be devoted to finishing my first ever exegetical essay, part of my mind is thinking about travelling. Everyday when I sit down at my desk, I have in front of me souvenirs from some of my most memorable and formative trips...my bear who stands on his head acquired on a Thanksgiving trip to Berlin, my bear with tree from Madrid (the symbol of that amazing city...I think a theme is developing), my miniature Arena from…
Read More

And why is it that I follow Jesus?

Yes, that is our question of the day.  Not an easy question, but one with a simple answer:  I follow Jesus because that is what I must do.   And if I tell the truth, there are days I would rather not. There are days when the price feels too high, in terms of energy and sacrifice. There are days when it feels really, really lonely to follow Jesus. There are days when it seems like a fairy tale, a myth, a totally implausible belief that God could be made flesh and walk upon this earth, experiencing anger and illness and pain and joy, just as we do.  There are many days when…
Read More

Backing in the front way, or new tricks for old dogs

I'm thinking about the past few weeks of my life and all I can see is my beagle, Gracie.  There she is, right in front of me.  I want her to go some place that she doesn't really want to go, but she has forgotten her wilfulness for a moment and she is focused on me -- I have a toy or a treat (most likely, a treat).  Very slowly, I move towards her and because she is in food-anticipation-mode or play mode, she backs up so that she can maintain an ever-perfect focus on the object of her desire.  And, then, before she knows it, she is where I want…
Read More

The real first day…

Yes, I've already had my first day of school picture and worn my new dress.  I've tried out my new computer/book bag; I've had my share of adjustment pains with changes in schedule and with getting to know new people and a new place.  And I've dealt with the adjustment of sitting  in classes for long stretches of time, something that my not-as-young-as-it-used-to-be body is not always so happy to do.  I've figured out that I need one set of glasses for reading Hebrew "tittles and tots" correctly, and I've dealt with the humbling reality that learning a dead language is not nearly so easy as learning one you can…
Read More

Preparing the way…part the second

After days of pitching out mementos and piles of paper, sending books to new homes, taking no longer needed clothing to a place where it was more in need and building furniture with confusing but ultimately accurate cartoon drawings to guide my assembly process...after all those days doing cleanup and reorganization the day finally came:  the first day of orientation. [caption id="attachment_2138" align="alignleft" width="300"] Okay, I look more than a little nervous.[/caption] And so I spent yesterday getting to know this new community into which I have been led.  I met people who had arrived on campus after 16 and 19 hour long flights -- their first airplane flight ever,…
Read More

Preparing the way…part the first

I am deep into my preparations.  I have been deep into my preparations for a while now...I made a lot of unusual (at least for me) choices about how to pass these months so that I would be free to devote myself to this time of preparation. I am, as always, working on my sense of intentionality.   I am aware of change ahead, even if I do not understand its shape or direction. And you ask, what are you doing to prepare?  What is taking all this focus, all this time...what caused you to stay home during this last month of summer?  Hours spent in prayer, reading?  Yoga, meditation, personal…
Read More

I was never that good at math…

I was never that good at math, at least not since my high school algebra teacher, Mr. Hoskins, accused me of having my father do my homework for me while I was out sick (he just couldn't believe that a GIRL would come back from a week away with all her equations completed -- and why did he think my mother called every day to get the homework assignment...and clearly, he never ever met my father if he thought that HE had done the homework...and clearly I still have unresolved issues about this episode).    And so imagine my surprise when I realized that my life and even my journey of faith…
Read More

Call does not equal bliss…

I've been struggling with some tasks and responsibilities in my life lately, things that I have committed to do and things for which I have a great deal of talent, but things that, well, are really part of a life I walked away from many years ago.  I'm getting them done, but I am not very happy about it.  And I keep asking myself, and some others suggest to me that perhaps this discomfort springs from the fact that while I'm skilled at these tasks, perhaps I am not called to do them.  Perhaps I am in fact giving in to my over-functioning self by taking them on, perhaps my participation is…
Read More

A first semester report card…

Not that kind of report card.    Well, a little bit that-kind-of-report-card. I've had the chance to learn a lot about what it means to be part of a liturgically-based denomination in my first months at seminary and I must admit that I'm intrigued by some of the traditions,how they developed over the years and how they manifest themselves in the 21st century.  One of these practices refers to something called  Ember days.  Mostly, I hear people talking about Ember days because those are the days that, by tradition, the students are expected to communicate in some way (the format often depends on the technology-savvy nature of their individual bishops)…
Read More

Say yes to life…

In my early days as a cantor and church soloist, I worked in a congregation affiliated with Unity School of Christianity.  It just so happened that that was also my denominational affiliation at the time.  I always think about those days around the New Year, because I do miss the rhythm of having a New Year's Eve Service and church party every year. One of the things Unity used to be best at was the creation of simple songs set to familiar, catchy tunes that would stick in your head and just never ever leave.  While singing and worshiping there, I often had the opportunity to lead the congregation in…
Read More

A travelling exegesis…

I am probably the only person you know who would choose to procrastinate about a writing project by writing something else.  But here I am.  And even though the rest of my time today will be devoted to finishing my first ever exegetical essay, part of my mind is thinking about travelling. Everyday when I sit down at my desk, I have in front of me souvenirs from some of my most memorable and formative trips...my bear who stands on his head acquired on a Thanksgiving trip to Berlin, my bear with tree from Madrid (the symbol of that amazing city...I think a theme is developing), my miniature Arena from…
Read More

And why is it that I follow Jesus?

Yes, that is our question of the day.  Not an easy question, but one with a simple answer:  I follow Jesus because that is what I must do.   And if I tell the truth, there are days I would rather not. There are days when the price feels too high, in terms of energy and sacrifice. There are days when it feels really, really lonely to follow Jesus. There are days when it seems like a fairy tale, a myth, a totally implausible belief that God could be made flesh and walk upon this earth, experiencing anger and illness and pain and joy, just as we do.  There are many days when…
Read More

Backing in the front way, or new tricks for old dogs

I'm thinking about the past few weeks of my life and all I can see is my beagle, Gracie.  There she is, right in front of me.  I want her to go some place that she doesn't really want to go, but she has forgotten her wilfulness for a moment and she is focused on me -- I have a toy or a treat (most likely, a treat).  Very slowly, I move towards her and because she is in food-anticipation-mode or play mode, she backs up so that she can maintain an ever-perfect focus on the object of her desire.  And, then, before she knows it, she is where I want…
Read More

The real first day…

Yes, I've already had my first day of school picture and worn my new dress.  I've tried out my new computer/book bag; I've had my share of adjustment pains with changes in schedule and with getting to know new people and a new place.  And I've dealt with the adjustment of sitting  in classes for long stretches of time, something that my not-as-young-as-it-used-to-be body is not always so happy to do.  I've figured out that I need one set of glasses for reading Hebrew "tittles and tots" correctly, and I've dealt with the humbling reality that learning a dead language is not nearly so easy as learning one you can…
Read More

Preparing the way…part the second

After days of pitching out mementos and piles of paper, sending books to new homes, taking no longer needed clothing to a place where it was more in need and building furniture with confusing but ultimately accurate cartoon drawings to guide my assembly process...after all those days doing cleanup and reorganization the day finally came:  the first day of orientation. [caption id="attachment_2138" align="alignleft" width="300"] Okay, I look more than a little nervous.[/caption] And so I spent yesterday getting to know this new community into which I have been led.  I met people who had arrived on campus after 16 and 19 hour long flights -- their first airplane flight ever,…
Read More

Preparing the way…part the first

I am deep into my preparations.  I have been deep into my preparations for a while now...I made a lot of unusual (at least for me) choices about how to pass these months so that I would be free to devote myself to this time of preparation. I am, as always, working on my sense of intentionality.   I am aware of change ahead, even if I do not understand its shape or direction. And you ask, what are you doing to prepare?  What is taking all this focus, all this time...what caused you to stay home during this last month of summer?  Hours spent in prayer, reading?  Yoga, meditation, personal…
Read More

I was never that good at math…

I was never that good at math, at least not since my high school algebra teacher, Mr. Hoskins, accused me of having my father do my homework for me while I was out sick (he just couldn't believe that a GIRL would come back from a week away with all her equations completed -- and why did he think my mother called every day to get the homework assignment...and clearly, he never ever met my father if he thought that HE had done the homework...and clearly I still have unresolved issues about this episode).    And so imagine my surprise when I realized that my life and even my journey of faith…
Read More

Call does not equal bliss…

I've been struggling with some tasks and responsibilities in my life lately, things that I have committed to do and things for which I have a great deal of talent, but things that, well, are really part of a life I walked away from many years ago.  I'm getting them done, but I am not very happy about it.  And I keep asking myself, and some others suggest to me that perhaps this discomfort springs from the fact that while I'm skilled at these tasks, perhaps I am not called to do them.  Perhaps I am in fact giving in to my over-functioning self by taking them on, perhaps my participation is…
Read More

A first semester report card…

Not that kind of report card.    Well, a little bit that-kind-of-report-card. I've had the chance to learn a lot about what it means to be part of a liturgically-based denomination in my first months at seminary and I must admit that I'm intrigued by some of the traditions,how they developed over the years and how they manifest themselves in the 21st century.  One of these practices refers to something called  Ember days.  Mostly, I hear people talking about Ember days because those are the days that, by tradition, the students are expected to communicate in some way (the format often depends on the technology-savvy nature of their individual bishops)…
Read More

Say yes to life…

In my early days as a cantor and church soloist, I worked in a congregation affiliated with Unity School of Christianity.  It just so happened that that was also my denominational affiliation at the time.  I always think about those days around the New Year, because I do miss the rhythm of having a New Year's Eve Service and church party every year. One of the things Unity used to be best at was the creation of simple songs set to familiar, catchy tunes that would stick in your head and just never ever leave.  While singing and worshiping there, I often had the opportunity to lead the congregation in…
Read More

A travelling exegesis…

I am probably the only person you know who would choose to procrastinate about a writing project by writing something else.  But here I am.  And even though the rest of my time today will be devoted to finishing my first ever exegetical essay, part of my mind is thinking about travelling. Everyday when I sit down at my desk, I have in front of me souvenirs from some of my most memorable and formative trips...my bear who stands on his head acquired on a Thanksgiving trip to Berlin, my bear with tree from Madrid (the symbol of that amazing city...I think a theme is developing), my miniature Arena from…
Read More

And why is it that I follow Jesus?

Yes, that is our question of the day.  Not an easy question, but one with a simple answer:  I follow Jesus because that is what I must do.   And if I tell the truth, there are days I would rather not. There are days when the price feels too high, in terms of energy and sacrifice. There are days when it feels really, really lonely to follow Jesus. There are days when it seems like a fairy tale, a myth, a totally implausible belief that God could be made flesh and walk upon this earth, experiencing anger and illness and pain and joy, just as we do.  There are many days when…
Read More

Backing in the front way, or new tricks for old dogs

I'm thinking about the past few weeks of my life and all I can see is my beagle, Gracie.  There she is, right in front of me.  I want her to go some place that she doesn't really want to go, but she has forgotten her wilfulness for a moment and she is focused on me -- I have a toy or a treat (most likely, a treat).  Very slowly, I move towards her and because she is in food-anticipation-mode or play mode, she backs up so that she can maintain an ever-perfect focus on the object of her desire.  And, then, before she knows it, she is where I want…
Read More

The real first day…

Yes, I've already had my first day of school picture and worn my new dress.  I've tried out my new computer/book bag; I've had my share of adjustment pains with changes in schedule and with getting to know new people and a new place.  And I've dealt with the adjustment of sitting  in classes for long stretches of time, something that my not-as-young-as-it-used-to-be body is not always so happy to do.  I've figured out that I need one set of glasses for reading Hebrew "tittles and tots" correctly, and I've dealt with the humbling reality that learning a dead language is not nearly so easy as learning one you can…
Read More

Preparing the way…part the second

After days of pitching out mementos and piles of paper, sending books to new homes, taking no longer needed clothing to a place where it was more in need and building furniture with confusing but ultimately accurate cartoon drawings to guide my assembly process...after all those days doing cleanup and reorganization the day finally came:  the first day of orientation. [caption id="attachment_2138" align="alignleft" width="300"] Okay, I look more than a little nervous.[/caption] And so I spent yesterday getting to know this new community into which I have been led.  I met people who had arrived on campus after 16 and 19 hour long flights -- their first airplane flight ever,…
Read More

Preparing the way…part the first

I am deep into my preparations.  I have been deep into my preparations for a while now...I made a lot of unusual (at least for me) choices about how to pass these months so that I would be free to devote myself to this time of preparation. I am, as always, working on my sense of intentionality.   I am aware of change ahead, even if I do not understand its shape or direction. And you ask, what are you doing to prepare?  What is taking all this focus, all this time...what caused you to stay home during this last month of summer?  Hours spent in prayer, reading?  Yoga, meditation, personal…
Read More

I was never that good at math…

I was never that good at math, at least not since my high school algebra teacher, Mr. Hoskins, accused me of having my father do my homework for me while I was out sick (he just couldn't believe that a GIRL would come back from a week away with all her equations completed -- and why did he think my mother called every day to get the homework assignment...and clearly, he never ever met my father if he thought that HE had done the homework...and clearly I still have unresolved issues about this episode).    And so imagine my surprise when I realized that my life and even my journey of faith…
Read More

Call does not equal bliss…

I've been struggling with some tasks and responsibilities in my life lately, things that I have committed to do and things for which I have a great deal of talent, but things that, well, are really part of a life I walked away from many years ago.  I'm getting them done, but I am not very happy about it.  And I keep asking myself, and some others suggest to me that perhaps this discomfort springs from the fact that while I'm skilled at these tasks, perhaps I am not called to do them.  Perhaps I am in fact giving in to my over-functioning self by taking them on, perhaps my participation is…
Read More

A first semester report card…

Not that kind of report card.    Well, a little bit that-kind-of-report-card. I've had the chance to learn a lot about what it means to be part of a liturgically-based denomination in my first months at seminary and I must admit that I'm intrigued by some of the traditions,how they developed over the years and how they manifest themselves in the 21st century.  One of these practices refers to something called  Ember days.  Mostly, I hear people talking about Ember days because those are the days that, by tradition, the students are expected to communicate in some way (the format often depends on the technology-savvy nature of their individual bishops)…
Read More

Say yes to life…

In my early days as a cantor and church soloist, I worked in a congregation affiliated with Unity School of Christianity.  It just so happened that that was also my denominational affiliation at the time.  I always think about those days around the New Year, because I do miss the rhythm of having a New Year's Eve Service and church party every year. One of the things Unity used to be best at was the creation of simple songs set to familiar, catchy tunes that would stick in your head and just never ever leave.  While singing and worshiping there, I often had the opportunity to lead the congregation in…
Read More

A travelling exegesis…

I am probably the only person you know who would choose to procrastinate about a writing project by writing something else.  But here I am.  And even though the rest of my time today will be devoted to finishing my first ever exegetical essay, part of my mind is thinking about travelling. Everyday when I sit down at my desk, I have in front of me souvenirs from some of my most memorable and formative trips...my bear who stands on his head acquired on a Thanksgiving trip to Berlin, my bear with tree from Madrid (the symbol of that amazing city...I think a theme is developing), my miniature Arena from…
Read More

And why is it that I follow Jesus?

Yes, that is our question of the day.  Not an easy question, but one with a simple answer:  I follow Jesus because that is what I must do.   And if I tell the truth, there are days I would rather not. There are days when the price feels too high, in terms of energy and sacrifice. There are days when it feels really, really lonely to follow Jesus. There are days when it seems like a fairy tale, a myth, a totally implausible belief that God could be made flesh and walk upon this earth, experiencing anger and illness and pain and joy, just as we do.  There are many days when…
Read More

Backing in the front way, or new tricks for old dogs

I'm thinking about the past few weeks of my life and all I can see is my beagle, Gracie.  There she is, right in front of me.  I want her to go some place that she doesn't really want to go, but she has forgotten her wilfulness for a moment and she is focused on me -- I have a toy or a treat (most likely, a treat).  Very slowly, I move towards her and because she is in food-anticipation-mode or play mode, she backs up so that she can maintain an ever-perfect focus on the object of her desire.  And, then, before she knows it, she is where I want…
Read More

The real first day…

Yes, I've already had my first day of school picture and worn my new dress.  I've tried out my new computer/book bag; I've had my share of adjustment pains with changes in schedule and with getting to know new people and a new place.  And I've dealt with the adjustment of sitting  in classes for long stretches of time, something that my not-as-young-as-it-used-to-be body is not always so happy to do.  I've figured out that I need one set of glasses for reading Hebrew "tittles and tots" correctly, and I've dealt with the humbling reality that learning a dead language is not nearly so easy as learning one you can…
Read More

Preparing the way…part the second

After days of pitching out mementos and piles of paper, sending books to new homes, taking no longer needed clothing to a place where it was more in need and building furniture with confusing but ultimately accurate cartoon drawings to guide my assembly process...after all those days doing cleanup and reorganization the day finally came:  the first day of orientation. [caption id="attachment_2138" align="alignleft" width="300"] Okay, I look more than a little nervous.[/caption] And so I spent yesterday getting to know this new community into which I have been led.  I met people who had arrived on campus after 16 and 19 hour long flights -- their first airplane flight ever,…
Read More

Preparing the way…part the first

I am deep into my preparations.  I have been deep into my preparations for a while now...I made a lot of unusual (at least for me) choices about how to pass these months so that I would be free to devote myself to this time of preparation. I am, as always, working on my sense of intentionality.   I am aware of change ahead, even if I do not understand its shape or direction. And you ask, what are you doing to prepare?  What is taking all this focus, all this time...what caused you to stay home during this last month of summer?  Hours spent in prayer, reading?  Yoga, meditation, personal…
Read More

I was never that good at math…

I was never that good at math, at least not since my high school algebra teacher, Mr. Hoskins, accused me of having my father do my homework for me while I was out sick (he just couldn't believe that a GIRL would come back from a week away with all her equations completed -- and why did he think my mother called every day to get the homework assignment...and clearly, he never ever met my father if he thought that HE had done the homework...and clearly I still have unresolved issues about this episode).    And so imagine my surprise when I realized that my life and even my journey of faith…
Read More

Call does not equal bliss…

I've been struggling with some tasks and responsibilities in my life lately, things that I have committed to do and things for which I have a great deal of talent, but things that, well, are really part of a life I walked away from many years ago.  I'm getting them done, but I am not very happy about it.  And I keep asking myself, and some others suggest to me that perhaps this discomfort springs from the fact that while I'm skilled at these tasks, perhaps I am not called to do them.  Perhaps I am in fact giving in to my over-functioning self by taking them on, perhaps my participation is…
Read More

A first semester report card…

Not that kind of report card.    Well, a little bit that-kind-of-report-card. I've had the chance to learn a lot about what it means to be part of a liturgically-based denomination in my first months at seminary and I must admit that I'm intrigued by some of the traditions,how they developed over the years and how they manifest themselves in the 21st century.  One of these practices refers to something called  Ember days.  Mostly, I hear people talking about Ember days because those are the days that, by tradition, the students are expected to communicate in some way (the format often depends on the technology-savvy nature of their individual bishops)…
Read More

Say yes to life…

In my early days as a cantor and church soloist, I worked in a congregation affiliated with Unity School of Christianity.  It just so happened that that was also my denominational affiliation at the time.  I always think about those days around the New Year, because I do miss the rhythm of having a New Year's Eve Service and church party every year. One of the things Unity used to be best at was the creation of simple songs set to familiar, catchy tunes that would stick in your head and just never ever leave.  While singing and worshiping there, I often had the opportunity to lead the congregation in…
Read More

A travelling exegesis…

I am probably the only person you know who would choose to procrastinate about a writing project by writing something else.  But here I am.  And even though the rest of my time today will be devoted to finishing my first ever exegetical essay, part of my mind is thinking about travelling. Everyday when I sit down at my desk, I have in front of me souvenirs from some of my most memorable and formative trips...my bear who stands on his head acquired on a Thanksgiving trip to Berlin, my bear with tree from Madrid (the symbol of that amazing city...I think a theme is developing), my miniature Arena from…
Read More

And why is it that I follow Jesus?

Yes, that is our question of the day.  Not an easy question, but one with a simple answer:  I follow Jesus because that is what I must do.   And if I tell the truth, there are days I would rather not. There are days when the price feels too high, in terms of energy and sacrifice. There are days when it feels really, really lonely to follow Jesus. There are days when it seems like a fairy tale, a myth, a totally implausible belief that God could be made flesh and walk upon this earth, experiencing anger and illness and pain and joy, just as we do.  There are many days when…
Read More

Backing in the front way, or new tricks for old dogs

I'm thinking about the past few weeks of my life and all I can see is my beagle, Gracie.  There she is, right in front of me.  I want her to go some place that she doesn't really want to go, but she has forgotten her wilfulness for a moment and she is focused on me -- I have a toy or a treat (most likely, a treat).  Very slowly, I move towards her and because she is in food-anticipation-mode or play mode, she backs up so that she can maintain an ever-perfect focus on the object of her desire.  And, then, before she knows it, she is where I want…
Read More

The real first day…

Yes, I've already had my first day of school picture and worn my new dress.  I've tried out my new computer/book bag; I've had my share of adjustment pains with changes in schedule and with getting to know new people and a new place.  And I've dealt with the adjustment of sitting  in classes for long stretches of time, something that my not-as-young-as-it-used-to-be body is not always so happy to do.  I've figured out that I need one set of glasses for reading Hebrew "tittles and tots" correctly, and I've dealt with the humbling reality that learning a dead language is not nearly so easy as learning one you can…
Read More

Preparing the way…part the second

After days of pitching out mementos and piles of paper, sending books to new homes, taking no longer needed clothing to a place where it was more in need and building furniture with confusing but ultimately accurate cartoon drawings to guide my assembly process...after all those days doing cleanup and reorganization the day finally came:  the first day of orientation. [caption id="attachment_2138" align="alignleft" width="300"] Okay, I look more than a little nervous.[/caption] And so I spent yesterday getting to know this new community into which I have been led.  I met people who had arrived on campus after 16 and 19 hour long flights -- their first airplane flight ever,…
Read More

Preparing the way…part the first

I am deep into my preparations.  I have been deep into my preparations for a while now...I made a lot of unusual (at least for me) choices about how to pass these months so that I would be free to devote myself to this time of preparation. I am, as always, working on my sense of intentionality.   I am aware of change ahead, even if I do not understand its shape or direction. And you ask, what are you doing to prepare?  What is taking all this focus, all this time...what caused you to stay home during this last month of summer?  Hours spent in prayer, reading?  Yoga, meditation, personal…
Read More

I was never that good at math…

I was never that good at math, at least not since my high school algebra teacher, Mr. Hoskins, accused me of having my father do my homework for me while I was out sick (he just couldn't believe that a GIRL would come back from a week away with all her equations completed -- and why did he think my mother called every day to get the homework assignment...and clearly, he never ever met my father if he thought that HE had done the homework...and clearly I still have unresolved issues about this episode).    And so imagine my surprise when I realized that my life and even my journey of faith…
Read More

Call does not equal bliss…

I've been struggling with some tasks and responsibilities in my life lately, things that I have committed to do and things for which I have a great deal of talent, but things that, well, are really part of a life I walked away from many years ago.  I'm getting them done, but I am not very happy about it.  And I keep asking myself, and some others suggest to me that perhaps this discomfort springs from the fact that while I'm skilled at these tasks, perhaps I am not called to do them.  Perhaps I am in fact giving in to my over-functioning self by taking them on, perhaps my participation is…
Read More

A first semester report card…

Not that kind of report card.    Well, a little bit that-kind-of-report-card. I've had the chance to learn a lot about what it means to be part of a liturgically-based denomination in my first months at seminary and I must admit that I'm intrigued by some of the traditions,how they developed over the years and how they manifest themselves in the 21st century.  One of these practices refers to something called  Ember days.  Mostly, I hear people talking about Ember days because those are the days that, by tradition, the students are expected to communicate in some way (the format often depends on the technology-savvy nature of their individual bishops)…
Read More

Say yes to life…

In my early days as a cantor and church soloist, I worked in a congregation affiliated with Unity School of Christianity.  It just so happened that that was also my denominational affiliation at the time.  I always think about those days around the New Year, because I do miss the rhythm of having a New Year's Eve Service and church party every year. One of the things Unity used to be best at was the creation of simple songs set to familiar, catchy tunes that would stick in your head and just never ever leave.  While singing and worshiping there, I often had the opportunity to lead the congregation in…
Read More

A travelling exegesis…

I am probably the only person you know who would choose to procrastinate about a writing project by writing something else.  But here I am.  And even though the rest of my time today will be devoted to finishing my first ever exegetical essay, part of my mind is thinking about travelling. Everyday when I sit down at my desk, I have in front of me souvenirs from some of my most memorable and formative trips...my bear who stands on his head acquired on a Thanksgiving trip to Berlin, my bear with tree from Madrid (the symbol of that amazing city...I think a theme is developing), my miniature Arena from…
Read More

And why is it that I follow Jesus?

Yes, that is our question of the day.  Not an easy question, but one with a simple answer:  I follow Jesus because that is what I must do.   And if I tell the truth, there are days I would rather not. There are days when the price feels too high, in terms of energy and sacrifice. There are days when it feels really, really lonely to follow Jesus. There are days when it seems like a fairy tale, a myth, a totally implausible belief that God could be made flesh and walk upon this earth, experiencing anger and illness and pain and joy, just as we do.  There are many days when…
Read More

Backing in the front way, or new tricks for old dogs

I'm thinking about the past few weeks of my life and all I can see is my beagle, Gracie.  There she is, right in front of me.  I want her to go some place that she doesn't really want to go, but she has forgotten her wilfulness for a moment and she is focused on me -- I have a toy or a treat (most likely, a treat).  Very slowly, I move towards her and because she is in food-anticipation-mode or play mode, she backs up so that she can maintain an ever-perfect focus on the object of her desire.  And, then, before she knows it, she is where I want…
Read More

The real first day…

Yes, I've already had my first day of school picture and worn my new dress.  I've tried out my new computer/book bag; I've had my share of adjustment pains with changes in schedule and with getting to know new people and a new place.  And I've dealt with the adjustment of sitting  in classes for long stretches of time, something that my not-as-young-as-it-used-to-be body is not always so happy to do.  I've figured out that I need one set of glasses for reading Hebrew "tittles and tots" correctly, and I've dealt with the humbling reality that learning a dead language is not nearly so easy as learning one you can…
Read More

Preparing the way…part the second

After days of pitching out mementos and piles of paper, sending books to new homes, taking no longer needed clothing to a place where it was more in need and building furniture with confusing but ultimately accurate cartoon drawings to guide my assembly process...after all those days doing cleanup and reorganization the day finally came:  the first day of orientation. [caption id="attachment_2138" align="alignleft" width="300"] Okay, I look more than a little nervous.[/caption] And so I spent yesterday getting to know this new community into which I have been led.  I met people who had arrived on campus after 16 and 19 hour long flights -- their first airplane flight ever,…
Read More

Preparing the way…part the first

I am deep into my preparations.  I have been deep into my preparations for a while now...I made a lot of unusual (at least for me) choices about how to pass these months so that I would be free to devote myself to this time of preparation. I am, as always, working on my sense of intentionality.   I am aware of change ahead, even if I do not understand its shape or direction. And you ask, what are you doing to prepare?  What is taking all this focus, all this time...what caused you to stay home during this last month of summer?  Hours spent in prayer, reading?  Yoga, meditation, personal…
Read More

I was never that good at math…

I was never that good at math, at least not since my high school algebra teacher, Mr. Hoskins, accused me of having my father do my homework for me while I was out sick (he just couldn't believe that a GIRL would come back from a week away with all her equations completed -- and why did he think my mother called every day to get the homework assignment...and clearly, he never ever met my father if he thought that HE had done the homework...and clearly I still have unresolved issues about this episode).    And so imagine my surprise when I realized that my life and even my journey of faith…
Read More

Call does not equal bliss…

I've been struggling with some tasks and responsibilities in my life lately, things that I have committed to do and things for which I have a great deal of talent, but things that, well, are really part of a life I walked away from many years ago.  I'm getting them done, but I am not very happy about it.  And I keep asking myself, and some others suggest to me that perhaps this discomfort springs from the fact that while I'm skilled at these tasks, perhaps I am not called to do them.  Perhaps I am in fact giving in to my over-functioning self by taking them on, perhaps my participation is…
Read More

A first semester report card…

Not that kind of report card.    Well, a little bit that-kind-of-report-card. I've had the chance to learn a lot about what it means to be part of a liturgically-based denomination in my first months at seminary and I must admit that I'm intrigued by some of the traditions,how they developed over the years and how they manifest themselves in the 21st century.  One of these practices refers to something called  Ember days.  Mostly, I hear people talking about Ember days because those are the days that, by tradition, the students are expected to communicate in some way (the format often depends on the technology-savvy nature of their individual bishops)…
Read More

Say yes to life…

In my early days as a cantor and church soloist, I worked in a congregation affiliated with Unity School of Christianity.  It just so happened that that was also my denominational affiliation at the time.  I always think about those days around the New Year, because I do miss the rhythm of having a New Year's Eve Service and church party every year. One of the things Unity used to be best at was the creation of simple songs set to familiar, catchy tunes that would stick in your head and just never ever leave.  While singing and worshiping there, I often had the opportunity to lead the congregation in…
Read More

A travelling exegesis…

I am probably the only person you know who would choose to procrastinate about a writing project by writing something else.  But here I am.  And even though the rest of my time today will be devoted to finishing my first ever exegetical essay, part of my mind is thinking about travelling. Everyday when I sit down at my desk, I have in front of me souvenirs from some of my most memorable and formative trips...my bear who stands on his head acquired on a Thanksgiving trip to Berlin, my bear with tree from Madrid (the symbol of that amazing city...I think a theme is developing), my miniature Arena from…
Read More

And why is it that I follow Jesus?

Yes, that is our question of the day.  Not an easy question, but one with a simple answer:  I follow Jesus because that is what I must do.   And if I tell the truth, there are days I would rather not. There are days when the price feels too high, in terms of energy and sacrifice. There are days when it feels really, really lonely to follow Jesus. There are days when it seems like a fairy tale, a myth, a totally implausible belief that God could be made flesh and walk upon this earth, experiencing anger and illness and pain and joy, just as we do.  There are many days when…
Read More

Backing in the front way, or new tricks for old dogs

I'm thinking about the past few weeks of my life and all I can see is my beagle, Gracie.  There she is, right in front of me.  I want her to go some place that she doesn't really want to go, but she has forgotten her wilfulness for a moment and she is focused on me -- I have a toy or a treat (most likely, a treat).  Very slowly, I move towards her and because she is in food-anticipation-mode or play mode, she backs up so that she can maintain an ever-perfect focus on the object of her desire.  And, then, before she knows it, she is where I want…
Read More

The real first day…

Yes, I've already had my first day of school picture and worn my new dress.  I've tried out my new computer/book bag; I've had my share of adjustment pains with changes in schedule and with getting to know new people and a new place.  And I've dealt with the adjustment of sitting  in classes for long stretches of time, something that my not-as-young-as-it-used-to-be body is not always so happy to do.  I've figured out that I need one set of glasses for reading Hebrew "tittles and tots" correctly, and I've dealt with the humbling reality that learning a dead language is not nearly so easy as learning one you can…
Read More

Preparing the way…part the second

After days of pitching out mementos and piles of paper, sending books to new homes, taking no longer needed clothing to a place where it was more in need and building furniture with confusing but ultimately accurate cartoon drawings to guide my assembly process...after all those days doing cleanup and reorganization the day finally came:  the first day of orientation. [caption id="attachment_2138" align="alignleft" width="300"] Okay, I look more than a little nervous.[/caption] And so I spent yesterday getting to know this new community into which I have been led.  I met people who had arrived on campus after 16 and 19 hour long flights -- their first airplane flight ever,…
Read More

Preparing the way…part the first

I am deep into my preparations.  I have been deep into my preparations for a while now...I made a lot of unusual (at least for me) choices about how to pass these months so that I would be free to devote myself to this time of preparation. I am, as always, working on my sense of intentionality.   I am aware of change ahead, even if I do not understand its shape or direction. And you ask, what are you doing to prepare?  What is taking all this focus, all this time...what caused you to stay home during this last month of summer?  Hours spent in prayer, reading?  Yoga, meditation, personal…
Read More

I was never that good at math…

I was never that good at math, at least not since my high school algebra teacher, Mr. Hoskins, accused me of having my father do my homework for me while I was out sick (he just couldn't believe that a GIRL would come back from a week away with all her equations completed -- and why did he think my mother called every day to get the homework assignment...and clearly, he never ever met my father if he thought that HE had done the homework...and clearly I still have unresolved issues about this episode).    And so imagine my surprise when I realized that my life and even my journey of faith…
Read More

Call does not equal bliss…

I've been struggling with some tasks and responsibilities in my life lately, things that I have committed to do and things for which I have a great deal of talent, but things that, well, are really part of a life I walked away from many years ago.  I'm getting them done, but I am not very happy about it.  And I keep asking myself, and some others suggest to me that perhaps this discomfort springs from the fact that while I'm skilled at these tasks, perhaps I am not called to do them.  Perhaps I am in fact giving in to my over-functioning self by taking them on, perhaps my participation is…
Read More

A first semester report card…

Not that kind of report card.    Well, a little bit that-kind-of-report-card. I've had the chance to learn a lot about what it means to be part of a liturgically-based denomination in my first months at seminary and I must admit that I'm intrigued by some of the traditions,how they developed over the years and how they manifest themselves in the 21st century.  One of these practices refers to something called  Ember days.  Mostly, I hear people talking about Ember days because those are the days that, by tradition, the students are expected to communicate in some way (the format often depends on the technology-savvy nature of their individual bishops)…
Read More

Say yes to life…

In my early days as a cantor and church soloist, I worked in a congregation affiliated with Unity School of Christianity.  It just so happened that that was also my denominational affiliation at the time.  I always think about those days around the New Year, because I do miss the rhythm of having a New Year's Eve Service and church party every year. One of the things Unity used to be best at was the creation of simple songs set to familiar, catchy tunes that would stick in your head and just never ever leave.  While singing and worshiping there, I often had the opportunity to lead the congregation in…
Read More

A travelling exegesis…

I am probably the only person you know who would choose to procrastinate about a writing project by writing something else.  But here I am.  And even though the rest of my time today will be devoted to finishing my first ever exegetical essay, part of my mind is thinking about travelling. Everyday when I sit down at my desk, I have in front of me souvenirs from some of my most memorable and formative trips...my bear who stands on his head acquired on a Thanksgiving trip to Berlin, my bear with tree from Madrid (the symbol of that amazing city...I think a theme is developing), my miniature Arena from…
Read More

And why is it that I follow Jesus?

Yes, that is our question of the day.  Not an easy question, but one with a simple answer:  I follow Jesus because that is what I must do.   And if I tell the truth, there are days I would rather not. There are days when the price feels too high, in terms of energy and sacrifice. There are days when it feels really, really lonely to follow Jesus. There are days when it seems like a fairy tale, a myth, a totally implausible belief that God could be made flesh and walk upon this earth, experiencing anger and illness and pain and joy, just as we do.  There are many days when…
Read More

Backing in the front way, or new tricks for old dogs

I'm thinking about the past few weeks of my life and all I can see is my beagle, Gracie.  There she is, right in front of me.  I want her to go some place that she doesn't really want to go, but she has forgotten her wilfulness for a moment and she is focused on me -- I have a toy or a treat (most likely, a treat).  Very slowly, I move towards her and because she is in food-anticipation-mode or play mode, she backs up so that she can maintain an ever-perfect focus on the object of her desire.  And, then, before she knows it, she is where I want…
Read More

The real first day…

Yes, I've already had my first day of school picture and worn my new dress.  I've tried out my new computer/book bag; I've had my share of adjustment pains with changes in schedule and with getting to know new people and a new place.  And I've dealt with the adjustment of sitting  in classes for long stretches of time, something that my not-as-young-as-it-used-to-be body is not always so happy to do.  I've figured out that I need one set of glasses for reading Hebrew "tittles and tots" correctly, and I've dealt with the humbling reality that learning a dead language is not nearly so easy as learning one you can…
Read More

Preparing the way…part the second

After days of pitching out mementos and piles of paper, sending books to new homes, taking no longer needed clothing to a place where it was more in need and building furniture with confusing but ultimately accurate cartoon drawings to guide my assembly process...after all those days doing cleanup and reorganization the day finally came:  the first day of orientation. [caption id="attachment_2138" align="alignleft" width="300"] Okay, I look more than a little nervous.[/caption] And so I spent yesterday getting to know this new community into which I have been led.  I met people who had arrived on campus after 16 and 19 hour long flights -- their first airplane flight ever,…
Read More

Preparing the way…part the first

I am deep into my preparations.  I have been deep into my preparations for a while now...I made a lot of unusual (at least for me) choices about how to pass these months so that I would be free to devote myself to this time of preparation. I am, as always, working on my sense of intentionality.   I am aware of change ahead, even if I do not understand its shape or direction. And you ask, what are you doing to prepare?  What is taking all this focus, all this time...what caused you to stay home during this last month of summer?  Hours spent in prayer, reading?  Yoga, meditation, personal…
Read More

I was never that good at math…

I was never that good at math, at least not since my high school algebra teacher, Mr. Hoskins, accused me of having my father do my homework for me while I was out sick (he just couldn't believe that a GIRL would come back from a week away with all her equations completed -- and why did he think my mother called every day to get the homework assignment...and clearly, he never ever met my father if he thought that HE had done the homework...and clearly I still have unresolved issues about this episode).    And so imagine my surprise when I realized that my life and even my journey of faith…
Read More

Call does not equal bliss…

I've been struggling with some tasks and responsibilities in my life lately, things that I have committed to do and things for which I have a great deal of talent, but things that, well, are really part of a life I walked away from many years ago.  I'm getting them done, but I am not very happy about it.  And I keep asking myself, and some others suggest to me that perhaps this discomfort springs from the fact that while I'm skilled at these tasks, perhaps I am not called to do them.  Perhaps I am in fact giving in to my over-functioning self by taking them on, perhaps my participation is…
Read More

A first semester report card…

Not that kind of report card.    Well, a little bit that-kind-of-report-card. I've had the chance to learn a lot about what it means to be part of a liturgically-based denomination in my first months at seminary and I must admit that I'm intrigued by some of the traditions,how they developed over the years and how they manifest themselves in the 21st century.  One of these practices refers to something called  Ember days.  Mostly, I hear people talking about Ember days because those are the days that, by tradition, the students are expected to communicate in some way (the format often depends on the technology-savvy nature of their individual bishops)…
Read More

Say yes to life…

In my early days as a cantor and church soloist, I worked in a congregation affiliated with Unity School of Christianity.  It just so happened that that was also my denominational affiliation at the time.  I always think about those days around the New Year, because I do miss the rhythm of having a New Year's Eve Service and church party every year. One of the things Unity used to be best at was the creation of simple songs set to familiar, catchy tunes that would stick in your head and just never ever leave.  While singing and worshiping there, I often had the opportunity to lead the congregation in…
Read More

A travelling exegesis…

I am probably the only person you know who would choose to procrastinate about a writing project by writing something else.  But here I am.  And even though the rest of my time today will be devoted to finishing my first ever exegetical essay, part of my mind is thinking about travelling. Everyday when I sit down at my desk, I have in front of me souvenirs from some of my most memorable and formative trips...my bear who stands on his head acquired on a Thanksgiving trip to Berlin, my bear with tree from Madrid (the symbol of that amazing city...I think a theme is developing), my miniature Arena from…
Read More

And why is it that I follow Jesus?

Yes, that is our question of the day.  Not an easy question, but one with a simple answer:  I follow Jesus because that is what I must do.   And if I tell the truth, there are days I would rather not. There are days when the price feels too high, in terms of energy and sacrifice. There are days when it feels really, really lonely to follow Jesus. There are days when it seems like a fairy tale, a myth, a totally implausible belief that God could be made flesh and walk upon this earth, experiencing anger and illness and pain and joy, just as we do.  There are many days when…
Read More

Backing in the front way, or new tricks for old dogs

I'm thinking about the past few weeks of my life and all I can see is my beagle, Gracie.  There she is, right in front of me.  I want her to go some place that she doesn't really want to go, but she has forgotten her wilfulness for a moment and she is focused on me -- I have a toy or a treat (most likely, a treat).  Very slowly, I move towards her and because she is in food-anticipation-mode or play mode, she backs up so that she can maintain an ever-perfect focus on the object of her desire.  And, then, before she knows it, she is where I want…
Read More

The real first day…

Yes, I've already had my first day of school picture and worn my new dress.  I've tried out my new computer/book bag; I've had my share of adjustment pains with changes in schedule and with getting to know new people and a new place.  And I've dealt with the adjustment of sitting  in classes for long stretches of time, something that my not-as-young-as-it-used-to-be body is not always so happy to do.  I've figured out that I need one set of glasses for reading Hebrew "tittles and tots" correctly, and I've dealt with the humbling reality that learning a dead language is not nearly so easy as learning one you can…
Read More

Preparing the way…part the second

After days of pitching out mementos and piles of paper, sending books to new homes, taking no longer needed clothing to a place where it was more in need and building furniture with confusing but ultimately accurate cartoon drawings to guide my assembly process...after all those days doing cleanup and reorganization the day finally came:  the first day of orientation. [caption id="attachment_2138" align="alignleft" width="300"] Okay, I look more than a little nervous.[/caption] And so I spent yesterday getting to know this new community into which I have been led.  I met people who had arrived on campus after 16 and 19 hour long flights -- their first airplane flight ever,…
Read More

Preparing the way…part the first

I am deep into my preparations.  I have been deep into my preparations for a while now...I made a lot of unusual (at least for me) choices about how to pass these months so that I would be free to devote myself to this time of preparation. I am, as always, working on my sense of intentionality.   I am aware of change ahead, even if I do not understand its shape or direction. And you ask, what are you doing to prepare?  What is taking all this focus, all this time...what caused you to stay home during this last month of summer?  Hours spent in prayer, reading?  Yoga, meditation, personal…
Read More

I was never that good at math…

I was never that good at math, at least not since my high school algebra teacher, Mr. Hoskins, accused me of having my father do my homework for me while I was out sick (he just couldn't believe that a GIRL would come back from a week away with all her equations completed -- and why did he think my mother called every day to get the homework assignment...and clearly, he never ever met my father if he thought that HE had done the homework...and clearly I still have unresolved issues about this episode).    And so imagine my surprise when I realized that my life and even my journey of faith…
Read More

Call does not equal bliss…

I've been struggling with some tasks and responsibilities in my life lately, things that I have committed to do and things for which I have a great deal of talent, but things that, well, are really part of a life I walked away from many years ago.  I'm getting them done, but I am not very happy about it.  And I keep asking myself, and some others suggest to me that perhaps this discomfort springs from the fact that while I'm skilled at these tasks, perhaps I am not called to do them.  Perhaps I am in fact giving in to my over-functioning self by taking them on, perhaps my participation is…
Read More

A first semester report card…

Not that kind of report card.    Well, a little bit that-kind-of-report-card. I've had the chance to learn a lot about what it means to be part of a liturgically-based denomination in my first months at seminary and I must admit that I'm intrigued by some of the traditions,how they developed over the years and how they manifest themselves in the 21st century.  One of these practices refers to something called  Ember days.  Mostly, I hear people talking about Ember days because those are the days that, by tradition, the students are expected to communicate in some way (the format often depends on the technology-savvy nature of their individual bishops)…
Read More

Say yes to life…

In my early days as a cantor and church soloist, I worked in a congregation affiliated with Unity School of Christianity.  It just so happened that that was also my denominational affiliation at the time.  I always think about those days around the New Year, because I do miss the rhythm of having a New Year's Eve Service and church party every year. One of the things Unity used to be best at was the creation of simple songs set to familiar, catchy tunes that would stick in your head and just never ever leave.  While singing and worshiping there, I often had the opportunity to lead the congregation in…
Read More

A travelling exegesis…

I am probably the only person you know who would choose to procrastinate about a writing project by writing something else.  But here I am.  And even though the rest of my time today will be devoted to finishing my first ever exegetical essay, part of my mind is thinking about travelling. Everyday when I sit down at my desk, I have in front of me souvenirs from some of my most memorable and formative trips...my bear who stands on his head acquired on a Thanksgiving trip to Berlin, my bear with tree from Madrid (the symbol of that amazing city...I think a theme is developing), my miniature Arena from…
Read More

And why is it that I follow Jesus?

Yes, that is our question of the day.  Not an easy question, but one with a simple answer:  I follow Jesus because that is what I must do.   And if I tell the truth, there are days I would rather not. There are days when the price feels too high, in terms of energy and sacrifice. There are days when it feels really, really lonely to follow Jesus. There are days when it seems like a fairy tale, a myth, a totally implausible belief that God could be made flesh and walk upon this earth, experiencing anger and illness and pain and joy, just as we do.  There are many days when…
Read More

Backing in the front way, or new tricks for old dogs

I'm thinking about the past few weeks of my life and all I can see is my beagle, Gracie.  There she is, right in front of me.  I want her to go some place that she doesn't really want to go, but she has forgotten her wilfulness for a moment and she is focused on me -- I have a toy or a treat (most likely, a treat).  Very slowly, I move towards her and because she is in food-anticipation-mode or play mode, she backs up so that she can maintain an ever-perfect focus on the object of her desire.  And, then, before she knows it, she is where I want…
Read More

The real first day…

Yes, I've already had my first day of school picture and worn my new dress.  I've tried out my new computer/book bag; I've had my share of adjustment pains with changes in schedule and with getting to know new people and a new place.  And I've dealt with the adjustment of sitting  in classes for long stretches of time, something that my not-as-young-as-it-used-to-be body is not always so happy to do.  I've figured out that I need one set of glasses for reading Hebrew "tittles and tots" correctly, and I've dealt with the humbling reality that learning a dead language is not nearly so easy as learning one you can…
Read More

Preparing the way…part the second

After days of pitching out mementos and piles of paper, sending books to new homes, taking no longer needed clothing to a place where it was more in need and building furniture with confusing but ultimately accurate cartoon drawings to guide my assembly process...after all those days doing cleanup and reorganization the day finally came:  the first day of orientation. [caption id="attachment_2138" align="alignleft" width="300"] Okay, I look more than a little nervous.[/caption] And so I spent yesterday getting to know this new community into which I have been led.  I met people who had arrived on campus after 16 and 19 hour long flights -- their first airplane flight ever,…
Read More

Preparing the way…part the first

I am deep into my preparations.  I have been deep into my preparations for a while now...I made a lot of unusual (at least for me) choices about how to pass these months so that I would be free to devote myself to this time of preparation. I am, as always, working on my sense of intentionality.   I am aware of change ahead, even if I do not understand its shape or direction. And you ask, what are you doing to prepare?  What is taking all this focus, all this time...what caused you to stay home during this last month of summer?  Hours spent in prayer, reading?  Yoga, meditation, personal…
Read More