On Sanctification: A Tribute to Picasso

Pablo Picasso, Portrait of Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler, c.1910 Somewhere buried in the mind of an artistic genius lies the image of a man. Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler by name. But in Picasso’s mind, he looks like a highly abstracted series of geometric shapes—triangles, rectangles and squares. According...

January 6th, 2013 | Meditations | Read More

There must be more

Alessandro Tiarini, The Repentance of Saint Joseph c.1619 The first Advent was rather private, rural, shameful. Nine months in the womb of a young girl. Angelic appearances. Hard to believe. Could it be true that this child is something more than a delusion or a miracle? Though a professed virgin, Mary’s...

December 2nd, 2012 | Meditations | Read More

Dance

My husband and I are in the process of looking for a new church, and frankly, it’s a peculiar experience. Perhaps out of pride, I must clarify that we aren’t looking for a different body of believers simply due to dissatisfaction nor for the sake of “church shopping.” Rather, I would say we’ve...

August 5th, 2012 | Meditations | Read More

The Simple Thrill of Getting Wet

There is a magnetic pull between a body of water and the human soul. Whether a physical need or a spiritual symbol, water floods the imagination in a wildness that becomes both pure and sensual. Chemist and theologian alike celebrate the simplicity of the substance. Water is the scarce resource that...

July 29th, 2012 | Essays, Meditations | Read More

When I First Met Fear

Beneath the hatboxes and above a very dusty shelf are photo albums I frequent when I choose to acknowledge and consequently follow-up on my sentimental heart. There is a photo of me in a tea-length white dress with a sea of tulle material sprouting out waist down giving off a very delicate princess...

July 22nd, 2012 | Essays, Meditations | Read More

Sermons in Stones

I sometimes grow very pessimistic. I don’t see evidence that God is at work in this life—either in the great scheme of things or the tiny details of my life. I think, “God is a fairy. Sitting up there on a cloud, eating chicken wings and ignoring the needs of a dying and struggling world,...

July 15th, 2012 | Essays, Meditations | Read More

The Consumption Monster

Two weeks ago, I went on a fast for medical reasons. I had felt very sick for many weeks – constantly bloated, and whenever I felt hungry, I would eat one or two bites and then feel immediately full. I figured I’d fast until I felt better – just to clear my system of food. Over...

July 8th, 2012 | Essays, Meditations | Read More

Children of Abraham?

One of the common questions of Bible trivia games is ‘How many sons (or children) did Abraham have?’ Most Christians – and Jews – would say one – or possibly two; Isaac as the son of Sarah (and the son of the promise) and Ishmael, son of Hagar (with his own promise and blessing, Genesis 17:20,...

July 1st, 2012 | Essays, Meditations | Read More

Why Bad Things Happen: A Possible Explanation

Bill does not believe in God. He believes that all life began randomly from a single-cell organism. Bill believes that the human race is the height of all existence and that there is nothing greater than the human will. He has always been a very moral person, striving to make the lives of those around...

June 24th, 2012 | Essays, Meditations | Read More

Silent Sentinels

Our woodlot lies quiet this time of year. There have been numerous wind storm that have snapped trees or uprooted them completely and they rest where they have fallen, a crisscross graveyard of trunks that block paths and thwart us on the trails. Years of leaves have fallen undisturbed, settling...

June 17th, 2012 | Essays, Meditations | Read More

Meditations