Canine Mediator

This morning I was taking another crack at contemplative prayer — rereading Teresa of Avila’s Interior Castle, trying to find that deep prayerful place.  As I’m slogging along with the words, Skye-the-Wonder-Schnauzer rubs against my leg, uncharacteristically wanting a morning sit in my lap. At this hour she’s usually too hyper for such restful repose, … More Canine Mediator

Dust and Ashes

I look forward to Ash Wednesday every year. We’re part of a Baptist church that dabbles in the rich liturgies of the ancient church. Some time ago our former pastor introduced us to the old liturgy: ashes to ashes, dust to dust. The first year we found the ritual strange, but over time its potency … More Dust and Ashes

Theological Cemetery

Cemeteries are sacred space, hallowed by graves and memorials. But even more, cemeteries are made holy by the presence of God who seems particularly palpable among tombs. Some find cemeteries overly somber, even depressing. Not I. They are a comfort to me. The mood is calm, the residents quiet. Graveyards are ideal sanctuaries for meeting … More Theological Cemetery

Love Letters

On the porch this morning I am overwhelmed by rapid-fire love letters from God, assaulting my sleepy mind. A cardinal flits near the bird feeder, until she spots Skye the Schnauzer too close.Then to a branch near the top of the Red Oak.Momentary red flashes against a palate of green. Bougainvillea sing fuchsia. Zinnias antique … More Love Letters

Subterranean Hope

The stories, morning after morning, of the horrific war in Ukraine overwhelm us. For self defense I look away at something else in the news. Yet in the back of my mind the images still play, pictures of destruction, death. We thought it couldn’t happen again in Europe after WWII, but here it is, happening … More Subterranean Hope

Imagining Love

These days my mind is trying again to wrap itself around the idea of Divine love — surely the hardest of all theological concepts to comprehend and live within, deep down in our souls. I know the truth of unfailing Divine love in my head, but the notion keeps unraveling, slipping away in the warp … More Imagining Love

Wrestling with Wounds

Sitting on the couch this morning, Skye the Schnauzer snoozing in my lap, I’m reading James Finley’s Christian Meditation and understanding some of it. His fine book carefully explores the practice of contemplative prayer. After a couple of pages, I think it’s time to try my hand at the practice again: Sitting up straight. Eyes closed. Hands resting … More Wrestling with Wounds