Singing Along the Journey

Calling

The end of Advent…

I realize, as I come to this day which is the end of the Advent season, that I really haven't pondered the nature of Advent as deeply as usual this year.  I am still busy pondering the duality of my human condition. And that awareness of duality continues today as I celebrate both the secular holiday known as Christmas and as I prepare once again to mark the end of the spiritual season of Advent and the beginning of that great festival of Christmas. Yes, I have spent today baking cookies, making dinner, and wrapping presents along with the rest of my fellow Americans and a goodly portion of my…
Read More

It’s all in the introduction, Part the Second

So, back to the elevator speech, this time, my personal one, not Paul's (remember Romans 1:1-7?)  Or, we could call it "the party introduction".    I may have to avoid parties with strangers for a while, because, well, while I know what my introduction is NOT, I do not yet know what it IS.   This is a fairly uncomfortable place to sit in a world which often values us most by what we do, rather than who we are.  And some answers are more acceptable than others, for sure.  So, my friends who respond to the infamous question:  'So, what do you do?" with "Oh, I'm a lawyer" -- well, those…
Read More

It’s all in the introduction, Part the First

In American culture of the 21st century (and before this time, too), we are often so defined in the eyes of others by the answer to what is so often the first question that comes up during the social ritual of "small talk":  "So, what it is that you do?"  You're answer to that question defines in so many ways the direction that the conversation to follow will take, or, in fact, whether or not there will be a conversation at all.    For years, my answer has been my affirmation:  "Oh, I sing opera."   And now, I am ready to change that answer. But my mind and my speech need…
Read More

Coming together…

Yesterday, I had one of those musical days that a church musician can experience during the festival seasons of Advent and Easter, if that musician is very lucky:  I spent the whole day singing something wonderful.  In the morning, the Vivaldi Magnificat at Calvary Baptist Church, and in the evening, Handel's Messiah at Millian Methodist.  And this morning, despite the twitchy muscles in my calves and the desperate need to spend some time in the hot tub at the gym (thanks to a very long time standing in heels), my thoughts are all about the dualities of life and the building of community. Okay, let me pause a minute.  If…
Read More

The season’s gift…

Sometimes, if we pay attention, we can learn more about ourselves by watching our likes and our dislikes than we can through all the torturous hours spent in personal inventory and contemplation. I'm talking about Christmas gifts.  Yes, Christmas gifts. I have rules about Christmas gifts.  I finish my shopping no later than the first week of December, always.  That doesn't mean that I don't shop after that date, but I want to know that the important, core gifts for people who really matter are acquired and wrapped by that date.  Anything else I see after that or purchase is, well, serendipity.  And, oh yes, I don't like malls.   I…
Read More

Our truest nature…

I had a really good talk last night with a friend and a mentor about self-forgiveness and just how hard a thing it is to accomplish.   And how the lack of ability to forgive oneself for what we perceive as our failures and our errors in judgement makes it so difficult to take the next step that lies ahead of us. And then this morning, as I continued my reading of Sr. Joan Chittister's book, The Liturgical Year, this current of thinking that seems to be consuming me at this time continued, as I read about the dueling dual nature of our human state:  at one extreme, we are dust…
Read More

There are years, and then there are years….

I am, frankly, always looking for a better framework to guide me through the days of my life.  Because everything I do is freelance at this point, I don't have the regular boundaries of an office and a work schedule, and, well, sometimes that is a problem for me--particularly when the days are cold and and the darkness comes early.  And, I'm certain that this lack of framework would come as a suprise for some who know me, because, well, when the task is clear and something needs to be completed, there are few as motivated and disciplined as I am. But that is why I'm always on the look…
Read More

One year ago today…

One year ago today, I was baptized at the Calvary Baptist Church in Washington, DC.  I thought about this anniversary all day yesterday -- I can't quite decide whether I should commemorate the anniversary as the third Sunday of Advent, the Sunday of Joy, each year, or whether I should stick to the actual date, which is  today, December 13.  Perhaps I shall just commemorate both from now on, as it is a choice and a date that I will choose to celebrate and remember all my life long. If you want to read again or for the first time about my experience of baptism, you can do so here. …
Read More

Over my head, I hear music in the air…

The past few months, something has changed. I have been doing something that, really, I haven't done in years. I have been listening to music. You might be saying to yourself right now --WHAT?  Of course she listens to music, she's a musician!  But there is a big difference between listening to music because you need to study or learn something, and, well, just listening to music. Because it pleases you. Because it helps you relax. Because it helps you feel at one with all creation. That kind of music listening, well, that hasn't happened in a very, very long time. My father was a musician, well, a retired musician by…
Read More

Standing on the edge…

I've been standing on the edge for the past few days...the edge of space between cultures, the edge of spirit between faiths, the edge of history at a time when the whole world changed (a couple of times).  I just returned from 5 days in Istanbul. Oh, yes, I've heard (and made) the jokes about spending Turkey Day in Turkey.  And frankly, I wasn't really certain about why I wanted to go to Istanbul until I returned home (so typical).  But truth be told, no description, no guide book or digital slide show can tell you the power of  the place.  You just have to be there. How could I know…
Read More

The end of Advent…

I realize, as I come to this day which is the end of the Advent season, that I really haven't pondered the nature of Advent as deeply as usual this year.  I am still busy pondering the duality of my human condition. And that awareness of duality continues today as I celebrate both the secular holiday known as Christmas and as I prepare once again to mark the end of the spiritual season of Advent and the beginning of that great festival of Christmas. Yes, I have spent today baking cookies, making dinner, and wrapping presents along with the rest of my fellow Americans and a goodly portion of my…
Read More

It’s all in the introduction, Part the Second

So, back to the elevator speech, this time, my personal one, not Paul's (remember Romans 1:1-7?)  Or, we could call it "the party introduction".    I may have to avoid parties with strangers for a while, because, well, while I know what my introduction is NOT, I do not yet know what it IS.   This is a fairly uncomfortable place to sit in a world which often values us most by what we do, rather than who we are.  And some answers are more acceptable than others, for sure.  So, my friends who respond to the infamous question:  'So, what do you do?" with "Oh, I'm a lawyer" -- well, those…
Read More

It’s all in the introduction, Part the First

In American culture of the 21st century (and before this time, too), we are often so defined in the eyes of others by the answer to what is so often the first question that comes up during the social ritual of "small talk":  "So, what it is that you do?"  You're answer to that question defines in so many ways the direction that the conversation to follow will take, or, in fact, whether or not there will be a conversation at all.    For years, my answer has been my affirmation:  "Oh, I sing opera."   And now, I am ready to change that answer. But my mind and my speech need…
Read More

Coming together…

Yesterday, I had one of those musical days that a church musician can experience during the festival seasons of Advent and Easter, if that musician is very lucky:  I spent the whole day singing something wonderful.  In the morning, the Vivaldi Magnificat at Calvary Baptist Church, and in the evening, Handel's Messiah at Millian Methodist.  And this morning, despite the twitchy muscles in my calves and the desperate need to spend some time in the hot tub at the gym (thanks to a very long time standing in heels), my thoughts are all about the dualities of life and the building of community. Okay, let me pause a minute.  If…
Read More

The season’s gift…

Sometimes, if we pay attention, we can learn more about ourselves by watching our likes and our dislikes than we can through all the torturous hours spent in personal inventory and contemplation. I'm talking about Christmas gifts.  Yes, Christmas gifts. I have rules about Christmas gifts.  I finish my shopping no later than the first week of December, always.  That doesn't mean that I don't shop after that date, but I want to know that the important, core gifts for people who really matter are acquired and wrapped by that date.  Anything else I see after that or purchase is, well, serendipity.  And, oh yes, I don't like malls.   I…
Read More

Our truest nature…

I had a really good talk last night with a friend and a mentor about self-forgiveness and just how hard a thing it is to accomplish.   And how the lack of ability to forgive oneself for what we perceive as our failures and our errors in judgement makes it so difficult to take the next step that lies ahead of us. And then this morning, as I continued my reading of Sr. Joan Chittister's book, The Liturgical Year, this current of thinking that seems to be consuming me at this time continued, as I read about the dueling dual nature of our human state:  at one extreme, we are dust…
Read More

There are years, and then there are years….

I am, frankly, always looking for a better framework to guide me through the days of my life.  Because everything I do is freelance at this point, I don't have the regular boundaries of an office and a work schedule, and, well, sometimes that is a problem for me--particularly when the days are cold and and the darkness comes early.  And, I'm certain that this lack of framework would come as a suprise for some who know me, because, well, when the task is clear and something needs to be completed, there are few as motivated and disciplined as I am. But that is why I'm always on the look…
Read More

One year ago today…

One year ago today, I was baptized at the Calvary Baptist Church in Washington, DC.  I thought about this anniversary all day yesterday -- I can't quite decide whether I should commemorate the anniversary as the third Sunday of Advent, the Sunday of Joy, each year, or whether I should stick to the actual date, which is  today, December 13.  Perhaps I shall just commemorate both from now on, as it is a choice and a date that I will choose to celebrate and remember all my life long. If you want to read again or for the first time about my experience of baptism, you can do so here. …
Read More

Over my head, I hear music in the air…

The past few months, something has changed. I have been doing something that, really, I haven't done in years. I have been listening to music. You might be saying to yourself right now --WHAT?  Of course she listens to music, she's a musician!  But there is a big difference between listening to music because you need to study or learn something, and, well, just listening to music. Because it pleases you. Because it helps you relax. Because it helps you feel at one with all creation. That kind of music listening, well, that hasn't happened in a very, very long time. My father was a musician, well, a retired musician by…
Read More

Standing on the edge…

I've been standing on the edge for the past few days...the edge of space between cultures, the edge of spirit between faiths, the edge of history at a time when the whole world changed (a couple of times).  I just returned from 5 days in Istanbul. Oh, yes, I've heard (and made) the jokes about spending Turkey Day in Turkey.  And frankly, I wasn't really certain about why I wanted to go to Istanbul until I returned home (so typical).  But truth be told, no description, no guide book or digital slide show can tell you the power of  the place.  You just have to be there. How could I know…
Read More

The end of Advent…

I realize, as I come to this day which is the end of the Advent season, that I really haven't pondered the nature of Advent as deeply as usual this year.  I am still busy pondering the duality of my human condition. And that awareness of duality continues today as I celebrate both the secular holiday known as Christmas and as I prepare once again to mark the end of the spiritual season of Advent and the beginning of that great festival of Christmas. Yes, I have spent today baking cookies, making dinner, and wrapping presents along with the rest of my fellow Americans and a goodly portion of my…
Read More

It’s all in the introduction, Part the Second

So, back to the elevator speech, this time, my personal one, not Paul's (remember Romans 1:1-7?)  Or, we could call it "the party introduction".    I may have to avoid parties with strangers for a while, because, well, while I know what my introduction is NOT, I do not yet know what it IS.   This is a fairly uncomfortable place to sit in a world which often values us most by what we do, rather than who we are.  And some answers are more acceptable than others, for sure.  So, my friends who respond to the infamous question:  'So, what do you do?" with "Oh, I'm a lawyer" -- well, those…
Read More

It’s all in the introduction, Part the First

In American culture of the 21st century (and before this time, too), we are often so defined in the eyes of others by the answer to what is so often the first question that comes up during the social ritual of "small talk":  "So, what it is that you do?"  You're answer to that question defines in so many ways the direction that the conversation to follow will take, or, in fact, whether or not there will be a conversation at all.    For years, my answer has been my affirmation:  "Oh, I sing opera."   And now, I am ready to change that answer. But my mind and my speech need…
Read More

Coming together…

Yesterday, I had one of those musical days that a church musician can experience during the festival seasons of Advent and Easter, if that musician is very lucky:  I spent the whole day singing something wonderful.  In the morning, the Vivaldi Magnificat at Calvary Baptist Church, and in the evening, Handel's Messiah at Millian Methodist.  And this morning, despite the twitchy muscles in my calves and the desperate need to spend some time in the hot tub at the gym (thanks to a very long time standing in heels), my thoughts are all about the dualities of life and the building of community. Okay, let me pause a minute.  If…
Read More

The season’s gift…

Sometimes, if we pay attention, we can learn more about ourselves by watching our likes and our dislikes than we can through all the torturous hours spent in personal inventory and contemplation. I'm talking about Christmas gifts.  Yes, Christmas gifts. I have rules about Christmas gifts.  I finish my shopping no later than the first week of December, always.  That doesn't mean that I don't shop after that date, but I want to know that the important, core gifts for people who really matter are acquired and wrapped by that date.  Anything else I see after that or purchase is, well, serendipity.  And, oh yes, I don't like malls.   I…
Read More

Our truest nature…

I had a really good talk last night with a friend and a mentor about self-forgiveness and just how hard a thing it is to accomplish.   And how the lack of ability to forgive oneself for what we perceive as our failures and our errors in judgement makes it so difficult to take the next step that lies ahead of us. And then this morning, as I continued my reading of Sr. Joan Chittister's book, The Liturgical Year, this current of thinking that seems to be consuming me at this time continued, as I read about the dueling dual nature of our human state:  at one extreme, we are dust…
Read More

There are years, and then there are years….

I am, frankly, always looking for a better framework to guide me through the days of my life.  Because everything I do is freelance at this point, I don't have the regular boundaries of an office and a work schedule, and, well, sometimes that is a problem for me--particularly when the days are cold and and the darkness comes early.  And, I'm certain that this lack of framework would come as a suprise for some who know me, because, well, when the task is clear and something needs to be completed, there are few as motivated and disciplined as I am. But that is why I'm always on the look…
Read More

One year ago today…

One year ago today, I was baptized at the Calvary Baptist Church in Washington, DC.  I thought about this anniversary all day yesterday -- I can't quite decide whether I should commemorate the anniversary as the third Sunday of Advent, the Sunday of Joy, each year, or whether I should stick to the actual date, which is  today, December 13.  Perhaps I shall just commemorate both from now on, as it is a choice and a date that I will choose to celebrate and remember all my life long. If you want to read again or for the first time about my experience of baptism, you can do so here. …
Read More

Over my head, I hear music in the air…

The past few months, something has changed. I have been doing something that, really, I haven't done in years. I have been listening to music. You might be saying to yourself right now --WHAT?  Of course she listens to music, she's a musician!  But there is a big difference between listening to music because you need to study or learn something, and, well, just listening to music. Because it pleases you. Because it helps you relax. Because it helps you feel at one with all creation. That kind of music listening, well, that hasn't happened in a very, very long time. My father was a musician, well, a retired musician by…
Read More

Standing on the edge…

I've been standing on the edge for the past few days...the edge of space between cultures, the edge of spirit between faiths, the edge of history at a time when the whole world changed (a couple of times).  I just returned from 5 days in Istanbul. Oh, yes, I've heard (and made) the jokes about spending Turkey Day in Turkey.  And frankly, I wasn't really certain about why I wanted to go to Istanbul until I returned home (so typical).  But truth be told, no description, no guide book or digital slide show can tell you the power of  the place.  You just have to be there. How could I know…
Read More

The end of Advent…

I realize, as I come to this day which is the end of the Advent season, that I really haven't pondered the nature of Advent as deeply as usual this year.  I am still busy pondering the duality of my human condition. And that awareness of duality continues today as I celebrate both the secular holiday known as Christmas and as I prepare once again to mark the end of the spiritual season of Advent and the beginning of that great festival of Christmas. Yes, I have spent today baking cookies, making dinner, and wrapping presents along with the rest of my fellow Americans and a goodly portion of my…
Read More

It’s all in the introduction, Part the Second

So, back to the elevator speech, this time, my personal one, not Paul's (remember Romans 1:1-7?)  Or, we could call it "the party introduction".    I may have to avoid parties with strangers for a while, because, well, while I know what my introduction is NOT, I do not yet know what it IS.   This is a fairly uncomfortable place to sit in a world which often values us most by what we do, rather than who we are.  And some answers are more acceptable than others, for sure.  So, my friends who respond to the infamous question:  'So, what do you do?" with "Oh, I'm a lawyer" -- well, those…
Read More

It’s all in the introduction, Part the First

In American culture of the 21st century (and before this time, too), we are often so defined in the eyes of others by the answer to what is so often the first question that comes up during the social ritual of "small talk":  "So, what it is that you do?"  You're answer to that question defines in so many ways the direction that the conversation to follow will take, or, in fact, whether or not there will be a conversation at all.    For years, my answer has been my affirmation:  "Oh, I sing opera."   And now, I am ready to change that answer. But my mind and my speech need…
Read More

Coming together…

Yesterday, I had one of those musical days that a church musician can experience during the festival seasons of Advent and Easter, if that musician is very lucky:  I spent the whole day singing something wonderful.  In the morning, the Vivaldi Magnificat at Calvary Baptist Church, and in the evening, Handel's Messiah at Millian Methodist.  And this morning, despite the twitchy muscles in my calves and the desperate need to spend some time in the hot tub at the gym (thanks to a very long time standing in heels), my thoughts are all about the dualities of life and the building of community. Okay, let me pause a minute.  If…
Read More

The season’s gift…

Sometimes, if we pay attention, we can learn more about ourselves by watching our likes and our dislikes than we can through all the torturous hours spent in personal inventory and contemplation. I'm talking about Christmas gifts.  Yes, Christmas gifts. I have rules about Christmas gifts.  I finish my shopping no later than the first week of December, always.  That doesn't mean that I don't shop after that date, but I want to know that the important, core gifts for people who really matter are acquired and wrapped by that date.  Anything else I see after that or purchase is, well, serendipity.  And, oh yes, I don't like malls.   I…
Read More

Our truest nature…

I had a really good talk last night with a friend and a mentor about self-forgiveness and just how hard a thing it is to accomplish.   And how the lack of ability to forgive oneself for what we perceive as our failures and our errors in judgement makes it so difficult to take the next step that lies ahead of us. And then this morning, as I continued my reading of Sr. Joan Chittister's book, The Liturgical Year, this current of thinking that seems to be consuming me at this time continued, as I read about the dueling dual nature of our human state:  at one extreme, we are dust…
Read More

There are years, and then there are years….

I am, frankly, always looking for a better framework to guide me through the days of my life.  Because everything I do is freelance at this point, I don't have the regular boundaries of an office and a work schedule, and, well, sometimes that is a problem for me--particularly when the days are cold and and the darkness comes early.  And, I'm certain that this lack of framework would come as a suprise for some who know me, because, well, when the task is clear and something needs to be completed, there are few as motivated and disciplined as I am. But that is why I'm always on the look…
Read More

One year ago today…

One year ago today, I was baptized at the Calvary Baptist Church in Washington, DC.  I thought about this anniversary all day yesterday -- I can't quite decide whether I should commemorate the anniversary as the third Sunday of Advent, the Sunday of Joy, each year, or whether I should stick to the actual date, which is  today, December 13.  Perhaps I shall just commemorate both from now on, as it is a choice and a date that I will choose to celebrate and remember all my life long. If you want to read again or for the first time about my experience of baptism, you can do so here. …
Read More

Over my head, I hear music in the air…

The past few months, something has changed. I have been doing something that, really, I haven't done in years. I have been listening to music. You might be saying to yourself right now --WHAT?  Of course she listens to music, she's a musician!  But there is a big difference between listening to music because you need to study or learn something, and, well, just listening to music. Because it pleases you. Because it helps you relax. Because it helps you feel at one with all creation. That kind of music listening, well, that hasn't happened in a very, very long time. My father was a musician, well, a retired musician by…
Read More

Standing on the edge…

I've been standing on the edge for the past few days...the edge of space between cultures, the edge of spirit between faiths, the edge of history at a time when the whole world changed (a couple of times).  I just returned from 5 days in Istanbul. Oh, yes, I've heard (and made) the jokes about spending Turkey Day in Turkey.  And frankly, I wasn't really certain about why I wanted to go to Istanbul until I returned home (so typical).  But truth be told, no description, no guide book or digital slide show can tell you the power of  the place.  You just have to be there. How could I know…
Read More

The end of Advent…

I realize, as I come to this day which is the end of the Advent season, that I really haven't pondered the nature of Advent as deeply as usual this year.  I am still busy pondering the duality of my human condition. And that awareness of duality continues today as I celebrate both the secular holiday known as Christmas and as I prepare once again to mark the end of the spiritual season of Advent and the beginning of that great festival of Christmas. Yes, I have spent today baking cookies, making dinner, and wrapping presents along with the rest of my fellow Americans and a goodly portion of my…
Read More

It’s all in the introduction, Part the Second

So, back to the elevator speech, this time, my personal one, not Paul's (remember Romans 1:1-7?)  Or, we could call it "the party introduction".    I may have to avoid parties with strangers for a while, because, well, while I know what my introduction is NOT, I do not yet know what it IS.   This is a fairly uncomfortable place to sit in a world which often values us most by what we do, rather than who we are.  And some answers are more acceptable than others, for sure.  So, my friends who respond to the infamous question:  'So, what do you do?" with "Oh, I'm a lawyer" -- well, those…
Read More

It’s all in the introduction, Part the First

In American culture of the 21st century (and before this time, too), we are often so defined in the eyes of others by the answer to what is so often the first question that comes up during the social ritual of "small talk":  "So, what it is that you do?"  You're answer to that question defines in so many ways the direction that the conversation to follow will take, or, in fact, whether or not there will be a conversation at all.    For years, my answer has been my affirmation:  "Oh, I sing opera."   And now, I am ready to change that answer. But my mind and my speech need…
Read More

Coming together…

Yesterday, I had one of those musical days that a church musician can experience during the festival seasons of Advent and Easter, if that musician is very lucky:  I spent the whole day singing something wonderful.  In the morning, the Vivaldi Magnificat at Calvary Baptist Church, and in the evening, Handel's Messiah at Millian Methodist.  And this morning, despite the twitchy muscles in my calves and the desperate need to spend some time in the hot tub at the gym (thanks to a very long time standing in heels), my thoughts are all about the dualities of life and the building of community. Okay, let me pause a minute.  If…
Read More

The season’s gift…

Sometimes, if we pay attention, we can learn more about ourselves by watching our likes and our dislikes than we can through all the torturous hours spent in personal inventory and contemplation. I'm talking about Christmas gifts.  Yes, Christmas gifts. I have rules about Christmas gifts.  I finish my shopping no later than the first week of December, always.  That doesn't mean that I don't shop after that date, but I want to know that the important, core gifts for people who really matter are acquired and wrapped by that date.  Anything else I see after that or purchase is, well, serendipity.  And, oh yes, I don't like malls.   I…
Read More

Our truest nature…

I had a really good talk last night with a friend and a mentor about self-forgiveness and just how hard a thing it is to accomplish.   And how the lack of ability to forgive oneself for what we perceive as our failures and our errors in judgement makes it so difficult to take the next step that lies ahead of us. And then this morning, as I continued my reading of Sr. Joan Chittister's book, The Liturgical Year, this current of thinking that seems to be consuming me at this time continued, as I read about the dueling dual nature of our human state:  at one extreme, we are dust…
Read More

There are years, and then there are years….

I am, frankly, always looking for a better framework to guide me through the days of my life.  Because everything I do is freelance at this point, I don't have the regular boundaries of an office and a work schedule, and, well, sometimes that is a problem for me--particularly when the days are cold and and the darkness comes early.  And, I'm certain that this lack of framework would come as a suprise for some who know me, because, well, when the task is clear and something needs to be completed, there are few as motivated and disciplined as I am. But that is why I'm always on the look…
Read More

One year ago today…

One year ago today, I was baptized at the Calvary Baptist Church in Washington, DC.  I thought about this anniversary all day yesterday -- I can't quite decide whether I should commemorate the anniversary as the third Sunday of Advent, the Sunday of Joy, each year, or whether I should stick to the actual date, which is  today, December 13.  Perhaps I shall just commemorate both from now on, as it is a choice and a date that I will choose to celebrate and remember all my life long. If you want to read again or for the first time about my experience of baptism, you can do so here. …
Read More

Over my head, I hear music in the air…

The past few months, something has changed. I have been doing something that, really, I haven't done in years. I have been listening to music. You might be saying to yourself right now --WHAT?  Of course she listens to music, she's a musician!  But there is a big difference between listening to music because you need to study or learn something, and, well, just listening to music. Because it pleases you. Because it helps you relax. Because it helps you feel at one with all creation. That kind of music listening, well, that hasn't happened in a very, very long time. My father was a musician, well, a retired musician by…
Read More

Standing on the edge…

I've been standing on the edge for the past few days...the edge of space between cultures, the edge of spirit between faiths, the edge of history at a time when the whole world changed (a couple of times).  I just returned from 5 days in Istanbul. Oh, yes, I've heard (and made) the jokes about spending Turkey Day in Turkey.  And frankly, I wasn't really certain about why I wanted to go to Istanbul until I returned home (so typical).  But truth be told, no description, no guide book or digital slide show can tell you the power of  the place.  You just have to be there. How could I know…
Read More

The end of Advent…

I realize, as I come to this day which is the end of the Advent season, that I really haven't pondered the nature of Advent as deeply as usual this year.  I am still busy pondering the duality of my human condition. And that awareness of duality continues today as I celebrate both the secular holiday known as Christmas and as I prepare once again to mark the end of the spiritual season of Advent and the beginning of that great festival of Christmas. Yes, I have spent today baking cookies, making dinner, and wrapping presents along with the rest of my fellow Americans and a goodly portion of my…
Read More

It’s all in the introduction, Part the Second

So, back to the elevator speech, this time, my personal one, not Paul's (remember Romans 1:1-7?)  Or, we could call it "the party introduction".    I may have to avoid parties with strangers for a while, because, well, while I know what my introduction is NOT, I do not yet know what it IS.   This is a fairly uncomfortable place to sit in a world which often values us most by what we do, rather than who we are.  And some answers are more acceptable than others, for sure.  So, my friends who respond to the infamous question:  'So, what do you do?" with "Oh, I'm a lawyer" -- well, those…
Read More

It’s all in the introduction, Part the First

In American culture of the 21st century (and before this time, too), we are often so defined in the eyes of others by the answer to what is so often the first question that comes up during the social ritual of "small talk":  "So, what it is that you do?"  You're answer to that question defines in so many ways the direction that the conversation to follow will take, or, in fact, whether or not there will be a conversation at all.    For years, my answer has been my affirmation:  "Oh, I sing opera."   And now, I am ready to change that answer. But my mind and my speech need…
Read More

Coming together…

Yesterday, I had one of those musical days that a church musician can experience during the festival seasons of Advent and Easter, if that musician is very lucky:  I spent the whole day singing something wonderful.  In the morning, the Vivaldi Magnificat at Calvary Baptist Church, and in the evening, Handel's Messiah at Millian Methodist.  And this morning, despite the twitchy muscles in my calves and the desperate need to spend some time in the hot tub at the gym (thanks to a very long time standing in heels), my thoughts are all about the dualities of life and the building of community. Okay, let me pause a minute.  If…
Read More

The season’s gift…

Sometimes, if we pay attention, we can learn more about ourselves by watching our likes and our dislikes than we can through all the torturous hours spent in personal inventory and contemplation. I'm talking about Christmas gifts.  Yes, Christmas gifts. I have rules about Christmas gifts.  I finish my shopping no later than the first week of December, always.  That doesn't mean that I don't shop after that date, but I want to know that the important, core gifts for people who really matter are acquired and wrapped by that date.  Anything else I see after that or purchase is, well, serendipity.  And, oh yes, I don't like malls.   I…
Read More

Our truest nature…

I had a really good talk last night with a friend and a mentor about self-forgiveness and just how hard a thing it is to accomplish.   And how the lack of ability to forgive oneself for what we perceive as our failures and our errors in judgement makes it so difficult to take the next step that lies ahead of us. And then this morning, as I continued my reading of Sr. Joan Chittister's book, The Liturgical Year, this current of thinking that seems to be consuming me at this time continued, as I read about the dueling dual nature of our human state:  at one extreme, we are dust…
Read More

There are years, and then there are years….

I am, frankly, always looking for a better framework to guide me through the days of my life.  Because everything I do is freelance at this point, I don't have the regular boundaries of an office and a work schedule, and, well, sometimes that is a problem for me--particularly when the days are cold and and the darkness comes early.  And, I'm certain that this lack of framework would come as a suprise for some who know me, because, well, when the task is clear and something needs to be completed, there are few as motivated and disciplined as I am. But that is why I'm always on the look…
Read More

One year ago today…

One year ago today, I was baptized at the Calvary Baptist Church in Washington, DC.  I thought about this anniversary all day yesterday -- I can't quite decide whether I should commemorate the anniversary as the third Sunday of Advent, the Sunday of Joy, each year, or whether I should stick to the actual date, which is  today, December 13.  Perhaps I shall just commemorate both from now on, as it is a choice and a date that I will choose to celebrate and remember all my life long. If you want to read again or for the first time about my experience of baptism, you can do so here. …
Read More

Over my head, I hear music in the air…

The past few months, something has changed. I have been doing something that, really, I haven't done in years. I have been listening to music. You might be saying to yourself right now --WHAT?  Of course she listens to music, she's a musician!  But there is a big difference between listening to music because you need to study or learn something, and, well, just listening to music. Because it pleases you. Because it helps you relax. Because it helps you feel at one with all creation. That kind of music listening, well, that hasn't happened in a very, very long time. My father was a musician, well, a retired musician by…
Read More

Standing on the edge…

I've been standing on the edge for the past few days...the edge of space between cultures, the edge of spirit between faiths, the edge of history at a time when the whole world changed (a couple of times).  I just returned from 5 days in Istanbul. Oh, yes, I've heard (and made) the jokes about spending Turkey Day in Turkey.  And frankly, I wasn't really certain about why I wanted to go to Istanbul until I returned home (so typical).  But truth be told, no description, no guide book or digital slide show can tell you the power of  the place.  You just have to be there. How could I know…
Read More

The end of Advent…

I realize, as I come to this day which is the end of the Advent season, that I really haven't pondered the nature of Advent as deeply as usual this year.  I am still busy pondering the duality of my human condition. And that awareness of duality continues today as I celebrate both the secular holiday known as Christmas and as I prepare once again to mark the end of the spiritual season of Advent and the beginning of that great festival of Christmas. Yes, I have spent today baking cookies, making dinner, and wrapping presents along with the rest of my fellow Americans and a goodly portion of my…
Read More

It’s all in the introduction, Part the Second

So, back to the elevator speech, this time, my personal one, not Paul's (remember Romans 1:1-7?)  Or, we could call it "the party introduction".    I may have to avoid parties with strangers for a while, because, well, while I know what my introduction is NOT, I do not yet know what it IS.   This is a fairly uncomfortable place to sit in a world which often values us most by what we do, rather than who we are.  And some answers are more acceptable than others, for sure.  So, my friends who respond to the infamous question:  'So, what do you do?" with "Oh, I'm a lawyer" -- well, those…
Read More

It’s all in the introduction, Part the First

In American culture of the 21st century (and before this time, too), we are often so defined in the eyes of others by the answer to what is so often the first question that comes up during the social ritual of "small talk":  "So, what it is that you do?"  You're answer to that question defines in so many ways the direction that the conversation to follow will take, or, in fact, whether or not there will be a conversation at all.    For years, my answer has been my affirmation:  "Oh, I sing opera."   And now, I am ready to change that answer. But my mind and my speech need…
Read More

Coming together…

Yesterday, I had one of those musical days that a church musician can experience during the festival seasons of Advent and Easter, if that musician is very lucky:  I spent the whole day singing something wonderful.  In the morning, the Vivaldi Magnificat at Calvary Baptist Church, and in the evening, Handel's Messiah at Millian Methodist.  And this morning, despite the twitchy muscles in my calves and the desperate need to spend some time in the hot tub at the gym (thanks to a very long time standing in heels), my thoughts are all about the dualities of life and the building of community. Okay, let me pause a minute.  If…
Read More

The season’s gift…

Sometimes, if we pay attention, we can learn more about ourselves by watching our likes and our dislikes than we can through all the torturous hours spent in personal inventory and contemplation. I'm talking about Christmas gifts.  Yes, Christmas gifts. I have rules about Christmas gifts.  I finish my shopping no later than the first week of December, always.  That doesn't mean that I don't shop after that date, but I want to know that the important, core gifts for people who really matter are acquired and wrapped by that date.  Anything else I see after that or purchase is, well, serendipity.  And, oh yes, I don't like malls.   I…
Read More

Our truest nature…

I had a really good talk last night with a friend and a mentor about self-forgiveness and just how hard a thing it is to accomplish.   And how the lack of ability to forgive oneself for what we perceive as our failures and our errors in judgement makes it so difficult to take the next step that lies ahead of us. And then this morning, as I continued my reading of Sr. Joan Chittister's book, The Liturgical Year, this current of thinking that seems to be consuming me at this time continued, as I read about the dueling dual nature of our human state:  at one extreme, we are dust…
Read More

There are years, and then there are years….

I am, frankly, always looking for a better framework to guide me through the days of my life.  Because everything I do is freelance at this point, I don't have the regular boundaries of an office and a work schedule, and, well, sometimes that is a problem for me--particularly when the days are cold and and the darkness comes early.  And, I'm certain that this lack of framework would come as a suprise for some who know me, because, well, when the task is clear and something needs to be completed, there are few as motivated and disciplined as I am. But that is why I'm always on the look…
Read More

One year ago today…

One year ago today, I was baptized at the Calvary Baptist Church in Washington, DC.  I thought about this anniversary all day yesterday -- I can't quite decide whether I should commemorate the anniversary as the third Sunday of Advent, the Sunday of Joy, each year, or whether I should stick to the actual date, which is  today, December 13.  Perhaps I shall just commemorate both from now on, as it is a choice and a date that I will choose to celebrate and remember all my life long. If you want to read again or for the first time about my experience of baptism, you can do so here. …
Read More

Over my head, I hear music in the air…

The past few months, something has changed. I have been doing something that, really, I haven't done in years. I have been listening to music. You might be saying to yourself right now --WHAT?  Of course she listens to music, she's a musician!  But there is a big difference between listening to music because you need to study or learn something, and, well, just listening to music. Because it pleases you. Because it helps you relax. Because it helps you feel at one with all creation. That kind of music listening, well, that hasn't happened in a very, very long time. My father was a musician, well, a retired musician by…
Read More

Standing on the edge…

I've been standing on the edge for the past few days...the edge of space between cultures, the edge of spirit between faiths, the edge of history at a time when the whole world changed (a couple of times).  I just returned from 5 days in Istanbul. Oh, yes, I've heard (and made) the jokes about spending Turkey Day in Turkey.  And frankly, I wasn't really certain about why I wanted to go to Istanbul until I returned home (so typical).  But truth be told, no description, no guide book or digital slide show can tell you the power of  the place.  You just have to be there. How could I know…
Read More

The end of Advent…

I realize, as I come to this day which is the end of the Advent season, that I really haven't pondered the nature of Advent as deeply as usual this year.  I am still busy pondering the duality of my human condition. And that awareness of duality continues today as I celebrate both the secular holiday known as Christmas and as I prepare once again to mark the end of the spiritual season of Advent and the beginning of that great festival of Christmas. Yes, I have spent today baking cookies, making dinner, and wrapping presents along with the rest of my fellow Americans and a goodly portion of my…
Read More

It’s all in the introduction, Part the Second

So, back to the elevator speech, this time, my personal one, not Paul's (remember Romans 1:1-7?)  Or, we could call it "the party introduction".    I may have to avoid parties with strangers for a while, because, well, while I know what my introduction is NOT, I do not yet know what it IS.   This is a fairly uncomfortable place to sit in a world which often values us most by what we do, rather than who we are.  And some answers are more acceptable than others, for sure.  So, my friends who respond to the infamous question:  'So, what do you do?" with "Oh, I'm a lawyer" -- well, those…
Read More

It’s all in the introduction, Part the First

In American culture of the 21st century (and before this time, too), we are often so defined in the eyes of others by the answer to what is so often the first question that comes up during the social ritual of "small talk":  "So, what it is that you do?"  You're answer to that question defines in so many ways the direction that the conversation to follow will take, or, in fact, whether or not there will be a conversation at all.    For years, my answer has been my affirmation:  "Oh, I sing opera."   And now, I am ready to change that answer. But my mind and my speech need…
Read More

Coming together…

Yesterday, I had one of those musical days that a church musician can experience during the festival seasons of Advent and Easter, if that musician is very lucky:  I spent the whole day singing something wonderful.  In the morning, the Vivaldi Magnificat at Calvary Baptist Church, and in the evening, Handel's Messiah at Millian Methodist.  And this morning, despite the twitchy muscles in my calves and the desperate need to spend some time in the hot tub at the gym (thanks to a very long time standing in heels), my thoughts are all about the dualities of life and the building of community. Okay, let me pause a minute.  If…
Read More

The season’s gift…

Sometimes, if we pay attention, we can learn more about ourselves by watching our likes and our dislikes than we can through all the torturous hours spent in personal inventory and contemplation. I'm talking about Christmas gifts.  Yes, Christmas gifts. I have rules about Christmas gifts.  I finish my shopping no later than the first week of December, always.  That doesn't mean that I don't shop after that date, but I want to know that the important, core gifts for people who really matter are acquired and wrapped by that date.  Anything else I see after that or purchase is, well, serendipity.  And, oh yes, I don't like malls.   I…
Read More

Our truest nature…

I had a really good talk last night with a friend and a mentor about self-forgiveness and just how hard a thing it is to accomplish.   And how the lack of ability to forgive oneself for what we perceive as our failures and our errors in judgement makes it so difficult to take the next step that lies ahead of us. And then this morning, as I continued my reading of Sr. Joan Chittister's book, The Liturgical Year, this current of thinking that seems to be consuming me at this time continued, as I read about the dueling dual nature of our human state:  at one extreme, we are dust…
Read More

There are years, and then there are years….

I am, frankly, always looking for a better framework to guide me through the days of my life.  Because everything I do is freelance at this point, I don't have the regular boundaries of an office and a work schedule, and, well, sometimes that is a problem for me--particularly when the days are cold and and the darkness comes early.  And, I'm certain that this lack of framework would come as a suprise for some who know me, because, well, when the task is clear and something needs to be completed, there are few as motivated and disciplined as I am. But that is why I'm always on the look…
Read More

One year ago today…

One year ago today, I was baptized at the Calvary Baptist Church in Washington, DC.  I thought about this anniversary all day yesterday -- I can't quite decide whether I should commemorate the anniversary as the third Sunday of Advent, the Sunday of Joy, each year, or whether I should stick to the actual date, which is  today, December 13.  Perhaps I shall just commemorate both from now on, as it is a choice and a date that I will choose to celebrate and remember all my life long. If you want to read again or for the first time about my experience of baptism, you can do so here. …
Read More

Over my head, I hear music in the air…

The past few months, something has changed. I have been doing something that, really, I haven't done in years. I have been listening to music. You might be saying to yourself right now --WHAT?  Of course she listens to music, she's a musician!  But there is a big difference between listening to music because you need to study or learn something, and, well, just listening to music. Because it pleases you. Because it helps you relax. Because it helps you feel at one with all creation. That kind of music listening, well, that hasn't happened in a very, very long time. My father was a musician, well, a retired musician by…
Read More

Standing on the edge…

I've been standing on the edge for the past few days...the edge of space between cultures, the edge of spirit between faiths, the edge of history at a time when the whole world changed (a couple of times).  I just returned from 5 days in Istanbul. Oh, yes, I've heard (and made) the jokes about spending Turkey Day in Turkey.  And frankly, I wasn't really certain about why I wanted to go to Istanbul until I returned home (so typical).  But truth be told, no description, no guide book or digital slide show can tell you the power of  the place.  You just have to be there. How could I know…
Read More

The end of Advent…

I realize, as I come to this day which is the end of the Advent season, that I really haven't pondered the nature of Advent as deeply as usual this year.  I am still busy pondering the duality of my human condition. And that awareness of duality continues today as I celebrate both the secular holiday known as Christmas and as I prepare once again to mark the end of the spiritual season of Advent and the beginning of that great festival of Christmas. Yes, I have spent today baking cookies, making dinner, and wrapping presents along with the rest of my fellow Americans and a goodly portion of my…
Read More

It’s all in the introduction, Part the Second

So, back to the elevator speech, this time, my personal one, not Paul's (remember Romans 1:1-7?)  Or, we could call it "the party introduction".    I may have to avoid parties with strangers for a while, because, well, while I know what my introduction is NOT, I do not yet know what it IS.   This is a fairly uncomfortable place to sit in a world which often values us most by what we do, rather than who we are.  And some answers are more acceptable than others, for sure.  So, my friends who respond to the infamous question:  'So, what do you do?" with "Oh, I'm a lawyer" -- well, those…
Read More

It’s all in the introduction, Part the First

In American culture of the 21st century (and before this time, too), we are often so defined in the eyes of others by the answer to what is so often the first question that comes up during the social ritual of "small talk":  "So, what it is that you do?"  You're answer to that question defines in so many ways the direction that the conversation to follow will take, or, in fact, whether or not there will be a conversation at all.    For years, my answer has been my affirmation:  "Oh, I sing opera."   And now, I am ready to change that answer. But my mind and my speech need…
Read More

Coming together…

Yesterday, I had one of those musical days that a church musician can experience during the festival seasons of Advent and Easter, if that musician is very lucky:  I spent the whole day singing something wonderful.  In the morning, the Vivaldi Magnificat at Calvary Baptist Church, and in the evening, Handel's Messiah at Millian Methodist.  And this morning, despite the twitchy muscles in my calves and the desperate need to spend some time in the hot tub at the gym (thanks to a very long time standing in heels), my thoughts are all about the dualities of life and the building of community. Okay, let me pause a minute.  If…
Read More

The season’s gift…

Sometimes, if we pay attention, we can learn more about ourselves by watching our likes and our dislikes than we can through all the torturous hours spent in personal inventory and contemplation. I'm talking about Christmas gifts.  Yes, Christmas gifts. I have rules about Christmas gifts.  I finish my shopping no later than the first week of December, always.  That doesn't mean that I don't shop after that date, but I want to know that the important, core gifts for people who really matter are acquired and wrapped by that date.  Anything else I see after that or purchase is, well, serendipity.  And, oh yes, I don't like malls.   I…
Read More

Our truest nature…

I had a really good talk last night with a friend and a mentor about self-forgiveness and just how hard a thing it is to accomplish.   And how the lack of ability to forgive oneself for what we perceive as our failures and our errors in judgement makes it so difficult to take the next step that lies ahead of us. And then this morning, as I continued my reading of Sr. Joan Chittister's book, The Liturgical Year, this current of thinking that seems to be consuming me at this time continued, as I read about the dueling dual nature of our human state:  at one extreme, we are dust…
Read More

There are years, and then there are years….

I am, frankly, always looking for a better framework to guide me through the days of my life.  Because everything I do is freelance at this point, I don't have the regular boundaries of an office and a work schedule, and, well, sometimes that is a problem for me--particularly when the days are cold and and the darkness comes early.  And, I'm certain that this lack of framework would come as a suprise for some who know me, because, well, when the task is clear and something needs to be completed, there are few as motivated and disciplined as I am. But that is why I'm always on the look…
Read More

One year ago today…

One year ago today, I was baptized at the Calvary Baptist Church in Washington, DC.  I thought about this anniversary all day yesterday -- I can't quite decide whether I should commemorate the anniversary as the third Sunday of Advent, the Sunday of Joy, each year, or whether I should stick to the actual date, which is  today, December 13.  Perhaps I shall just commemorate both from now on, as it is a choice and a date that I will choose to celebrate and remember all my life long. If you want to read again or for the first time about my experience of baptism, you can do so here. …
Read More

Over my head, I hear music in the air…

The past few months, something has changed. I have been doing something that, really, I haven't done in years. I have been listening to music. You might be saying to yourself right now --WHAT?  Of course she listens to music, she's a musician!  But there is a big difference between listening to music because you need to study or learn something, and, well, just listening to music. Because it pleases you. Because it helps you relax. Because it helps you feel at one with all creation. That kind of music listening, well, that hasn't happened in a very, very long time. My father was a musician, well, a retired musician by…
Read More

Standing on the edge…

I've been standing on the edge for the past few days...the edge of space between cultures, the edge of spirit between faiths, the edge of history at a time when the whole world changed (a couple of times).  I just returned from 5 days in Istanbul. Oh, yes, I've heard (and made) the jokes about spending Turkey Day in Turkey.  And frankly, I wasn't really certain about why I wanted to go to Istanbul until I returned home (so typical).  But truth be told, no description, no guide book or digital slide show can tell you the power of  the place.  You just have to be there. How could I know…
Read More

The end of Advent…

I realize, as I come to this day which is the end of the Advent season, that I really haven't pondered the nature of Advent as deeply as usual this year.  I am still busy pondering the duality of my human condition. And that awareness of duality continues today as I celebrate both the secular holiday known as Christmas and as I prepare once again to mark the end of the spiritual season of Advent and the beginning of that great festival of Christmas. Yes, I have spent today baking cookies, making dinner, and wrapping presents along with the rest of my fellow Americans and a goodly portion of my…
Read More

It’s all in the introduction, Part the Second

So, back to the elevator speech, this time, my personal one, not Paul's (remember Romans 1:1-7?)  Or, we could call it "the party introduction".    I may have to avoid parties with strangers for a while, because, well, while I know what my introduction is NOT, I do not yet know what it IS.   This is a fairly uncomfortable place to sit in a world which often values us most by what we do, rather than who we are.  And some answers are more acceptable than others, for sure.  So, my friends who respond to the infamous question:  'So, what do you do?" with "Oh, I'm a lawyer" -- well, those…
Read More

It’s all in the introduction, Part the First

In American culture of the 21st century (and before this time, too), we are often so defined in the eyes of others by the answer to what is so often the first question that comes up during the social ritual of "small talk":  "So, what it is that you do?"  You're answer to that question defines in so many ways the direction that the conversation to follow will take, or, in fact, whether or not there will be a conversation at all.    For years, my answer has been my affirmation:  "Oh, I sing opera."   And now, I am ready to change that answer. But my mind and my speech need…
Read More

Coming together…

Yesterday, I had one of those musical days that a church musician can experience during the festival seasons of Advent and Easter, if that musician is very lucky:  I spent the whole day singing something wonderful.  In the morning, the Vivaldi Magnificat at Calvary Baptist Church, and in the evening, Handel's Messiah at Millian Methodist.  And this morning, despite the twitchy muscles in my calves and the desperate need to spend some time in the hot tub at the gym (thanks to a very long time standing in heels), my thoughts are all about the dualities of life and the building of community. Okay, let me pause a minute.  If…
Read More

The season’s gift…

Sometimes, if we pay attention, we can learn more about ourselves by watching our likes and our dislikes than we can through all the torturous hours spent in personal inventory and contemplation. I'm talking about Christmas gifts.  Yes, Christmas gifts. I have rules about Christmas gifts.  I finish my shopping no later than the first week of December, always.  That doesn't mean that I don't shop after that date, but I want to know that the important, core gifts for people who really matter are acquired and wrapped by that date.  Anything else I see after that or purchase is, well, serendipity.  And, oh yes, I don't like malls.   I…
Read More

Our truest nature…

I had a really good talk last night with a friend and a mentor about self-forgiveness and just how hard a thing it is to accomplish.   And how the lack of ability to forgive oneself for what we perceive as our failures and our errors in judgement makes it so difficult to take the next step that lies ahead of us. And then this morning, as I continued my reading of Sr. Joan Chittister's book, The Liturgical Year, this current of thinking that seems to be consuming me at this time continued, as I read about the dueling dual nature of our human state:  at one extreme, we are dust…
Read More

There are years, and then there are years….

I am, frankly, always looking for a better framework to guide me through the days of my life.  Because everything I do is freelance at this point, I don't have the regular boundaries of an office and a work schedule, and, well, sometimes that is a problem for me--particularly when the days are cold and and the darkness comes early.  And, I'm certain that this lack of framework would come as a suprise for some who know me, because, well, when the task is clear and something needs to be completed, there are few as motivated and disciplined as I am. But that is why I'm always on the look…
Read More

One year ago today…

One year ago today, I was baptized at the Calvary Baptist Church in Washington, DC.  I thought about this anniversary all day yesterday -- I can't quite decide whether I should commemorate the anniversary as the third Sunday of Advent, the Sunday of Joy, each year, or whether I should stick to the actual date, which is  today, December 13.  Perhaps I shall just commemorate both from now on, as it is a choice and a date that I will choose to celebrate and remember all my life long. If you want to read again or for the first time about my experience of baptism, you can do so here. …
Read More

Over my head, I hear music in the air…

The past few months, something has changed. I have been doing something that, really, I haven't done in years. I have been listening to music. You might be saying to yourself right now --WHAT?  Of course she listens to music, she's a musician!  But there is a big difference between listening to music because you need to study or learn something, and, well, just listening to music. Because it pleases you. Because it helps you relax. Because it helps you feel at one with all creation. That kind of music listening, well, that hasn't happened in a very, very long time. My father was a musician, well, a retired musician by…
Read More

Standing on the edge…

I've been standing on the edge for the past few days...the edge of space between cultures, the edge of spirit between faiths, the edge of history at a time when the whole world changed (a couple of times).  I just returned from 5 days in Istanbul. Oh, yes, I've heard (and made) the jokes about spending Turkey Day in Turkey.  And frankly, I wasn't really certain about why I wanted to go to Istanbul until I returned home (so typical).  But truth be told, no description, no guide book or digital slide show can tell you the power of  the place.  You just have to be there. How could I know…
Read More