just enough light

This first Sunday of Lent, Christian congregations all over the world heard the story of Jesus in the wilderness. As an allegory, it is full of rich images and meanings. For me, this story is one of Jesus confronting the limitations of his childhood and adolescent images of life. Like all of us, Jesus had […]

Ash Wednesday, for me, is about awareness of my impermanence. I have let that percolate for a couple of days, and it took little thought to get to the next step: unpredictability. Not only is my life time-limited, my life’s end is unpredictable. It is out of my control. I may reach a ripe old […]

I attended Ash Wednesday service this week. The beginning of the season of Lent. It was somber, subdued, and much of it conducted in silence. It is my favorite church service of the year, which I guess makes me sound a bit morbid. But I have my reasons. This is the one worship experience of […]

“We know it’s going to be a tough fight. The forces of fear and misinformation will pull out all the stops, both in Texas and nationally. But we know we’re on the right side of the issue, and we’re on the right side of history.” These were Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick’s words a few weeks […]

Amidst the chaos the Trump administration continues to generate, the increased polarization among us, the further marginalization of those already hurting, and the deepening sludge of the newly stocked swamp, one very important thing may come from Donald Trump’s brief tenure as our 45th president. We, the American people, will be forced to clarify who […]

I’m still a beginner. I am far from being grateful in all things. Just this morning I got pissed of with someone who took WAAAAY too long in line at my office (Starbucks). I silently wished them a crappy day. Back to square one. Gratitude in all circumstances is an aspiration, not an accomplishment. Gratitude is […]

So if we remove labels from our experiences, if we stop evaluating them as “good” or “bad,” then what? Doing so requires a whole different mindset that includes awareness that: I am not in control, I have a very limited view of what is really going on, and I can’t know how things will turn […]

I began these thoughts about gratitude in preparation for a sermon. I consulted some Bible commentaries to see what scholars had to say about the Apostle Paul’s statements about being “grateful in all circumstances.” I found variations on a theme. Some scholars suggested that Paul meant we are to see even bad things as the […]

Another drawback to selective gratitude is what we miss with people. In the same confusing manner that Jesus taught us about meekness, persecution, and mourning, he also taught that we are to love our enemies. We are not to love our enemies because it’s the nice thing to do. We love our enemies, because in […]

One of the most difficult, yet gratifying things I did as a university psychologist was to lead a grief group for students each semester. Groups were made up of 6 to 8 students who had experienced the death of a family member or close friend within the previous year. Every one of those brave students […]