I Need a Word
Reflections on the Desert Fathers
I preach most Sundays. We all have moments in life where our own lives seem strange to us, and when I think about my life it usually seems a little strange to me that I do this thing of giving sermons almost every week. Almost every Sunday I’m there in church with a word for the people. The clock keeps ticking and the calendar keeps turning, . . .
Take a Trip
Reflections on the Sayings of the Desert Fathers
When I lived in Buffalo, New York I’d take the city bus to the airport for trips. I walked almost a mile to the bus stop, rolling my suitcase behind me. Something about that,the mile walk at the beginning and end of the trip, told me, “You’re on a journey.” Putting one foot in front of the other said, “You’re going somewhere,” or “You’re . . .
You are right. I was wrong.
Reflections on the Sayings of the Desert Fathers
I watch comedy videos on Youtube when I do my weightlifting. I have a couple dumbbells in the garage, and during my very limited workout with them I also glance at a video on the phone. It’s the spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down approach to the workout. Last weekend I was doing some curls while watching Jerry Seinfeld on the Late . . .
Above Our Pay Grade
Reflections on the Sayings of the Desert Fathers
I watched both John Wick movies last weekend, and my imagination is still wandering around its fictional world. If you didn’t see them, in John Wick and John Wick 2, Keanu Reeves plays a retired hit man who is brought back into the assassination world because the crude son of one of his former associates steals his car and kills his dog. The . . .
The Desire for Possessions
Reflections on the Sayings of the Desert Fathers
In my last house, I used to have a daydream. The daydream was while I was taking the cat to the veterinarian the house burned down, taking all my possessions up in the smoke. The cat and I were fine, but everything else was gone. The problem was it was a happy daydream. I’d think, “Wouldn’t it be great if all my stuff went up in smoke and I . . .
The Peace of the Night
Reflections on the Sayings of the Desert Fathers
Sometimes before I go to sleep I step out on our back porch and look up at the stars. Stars are distant neighbors to us, and the light we see takes years to get to us. The closest star, Alpha Centauri A, is about 4 light years away, and most stars are 1000 light years away, some even several thousand more. The light we see when we look . . .
I Have Not Yet Made a Beginning
Reflections on the Sayings of the Desert Fathers
We live with the revolving internet outrage of the week. You know what I mean: a celebrity says something or does something, and everyone has an outraged opinion about it. We take sides; we have the story or video clip supporting our outrage. The President tweets something foolish, and we all line up in outrage or support, and we shout . . .