November 6, 2024
To pray is to practice that posture of radical trust in God’s grace—and to participate in perhaps the most radical movement of all, which is the movement of God’s Love. Richard Rohr
From: Richard Rohr’s Daily Meditation: Prayer, Politics, and God’s Love
Praying today, tomorrow, and probably the day after that as well.
November 5, 2024
Did the thing. 🇺🇸
Cal Newport - After You Vote: Unplug
The Republic will still stand without our constant digital vigilance. But it’s unclear if our mental health can survive the status quo.
Some great advice here.
Kids were off school and I wanted to hide from the Election Day stuff for a bit, so we went to the movies in the middle of the afternoon. Going to the movies in the middle of the afternoon on a weekday always makes me feel like I’m playing hooky or something.
November 4, 2024
A beautiful and timely reminder from a book I read earlier this year…
Meister Eckhart’s Book of the Heart by Jon M. Sweeney 📚
I really enjoyed this article: Whatever Happens, Love Thy Neighbor
I’m a Democrat living in a red, rural county. Trump supporters have mowed my lawn, walked my dog, and eroded my prejudices with their humanity.
This article gives me a little bit of hope that maybe by seeing and celebrating our common humanity we may find a way beyond polarization and seeing each other as more than who we voted for in the last election.
November 3, 2024
The Philadelphia Eagles have an incredible ability to stress me out to a degree that I have to admit is a bit unreasonable given that I’m watching a game. This is supposed to be entertaining yet I mostly just feel stress. I sometimes wish I didn’t care about sports. Go Birds 🦅 🏈
It wasn’t pretty, lots of points were left on the field, and we damn near lost the game, but because of an incredible interception, we got the win. Let’s go Birds! 🦅 🏈
November 1, 2024
Ali Abdaal - How to Reset Your Dopamine (And Change Your Life)
Really interesting video about the power of dopamine in our body and the way in which many of us are addicted to it, as well as some creative ways in which we can counter that addiction and reset our dopamine levels and use them to our advantage in order to lead lives that are far more meaningful and productive.
I’m a big fan of the work that Ali Abdaal does and I’m looking forward to rest of the videos in this series.
October 31, 2024
Seeking Love Through Solidarity
Began the day this morning reading this beautiful word about love and solidarity:
If you choose solidarity, instead of pulling away from those you once suspected, avoided, vilified, or rejected, you see them as neighbors. You smile. You talk. You try to collaborate for the common good in whatever ways you can. When you disagree, as you must, you do so boldly but also graciously, not burning bridges, not breaking solidarity. They may be your opponents for the moment, but you don’t write them off as enemies. Brian McLaren
Complicated Saints
I’m in the process of writing a sermon this morning titled “Complicated Saints” and I wanted to take some time here to try and get my thoughts straight on the topic.
A little bit of background. I am a pastor of a Lutheran church, I write sermons nearly every week, and this coming Sunday is a feast day, an annual celebration known as “All Saints Sunday.” Technically All Saints Day is tomorrow, November 1st, but we often move it to the following Sunday because otherwise it’s likely that nobody would show up since most people are not in the habit of going to church during the week.
Part of the All Saints Sunday worship service is a remembrance of all the people who have died in the last year, as well as any of the people who have died in previous years that happen to be on our minds and our hearts at this time. We take time to say each name and we ring a bell after each name is read. It’s a solemn, powerful, and holy moment. This is an interesting year for me because my Dad died on the first of January this year, and so his name will be one of the names that we say during the service.
Spider-Man is ready to go. 🎃
October 30, 2024
Currently reading: Ordinary Mysticism by Mirabai Starr 📚
You don’t have to enter a monastery to be a mystic. You don’t have to renounce chocolate or forsake pop culture. It is not necessary to take formal vows and beat yourself up when you inevitably fail to uphold them…To be a mystic in our times is not about renunciation; it is about intention. Living as a mystic means orienting the whole of yourself toward the sacred. It’s a matter of purposely looking through the lens of love.
What a game! The Dodgers deserved the win and were clearly the better team. ⚾️
October 29, 2024
Morning Light
Leading a funeral service later today and reminded of this verse:
“Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning.”
Psalm 30.5
October 28, 2024
I sort of forgot that I had this blog until I was charged the annual fee this week. Feeling inspired to come back and use it since I’ve already paid for it, just trying to figure out how I’d like to use it. I’ve completely exited all other forms of social media so it feels strange to return.
Sacred Space
December 16, 2022
The cost of so much connection and information has been the deterioration of our capacity for attention and reflection. And it is the quality of our attention and reflection that matters most.
December 9, 2022
Took my children to see a house near us decorated for Christmas in a way that makes Clark Griswold look restrained. Merry Christmas.
