just enough light

Thinking back on yesterday’s writing, I have written other “spiritual autobiographies” since that one in 1971. Each represents a different time in my life, a different understanding of myself, my history, my place in the world. As I looked back through that “Personal Document” from 1971, I came back to a phrase by Parker Palmer, […]

Going through a box of old papers is always fascinating. Memories, feelings, and people are attached to many of the papers. Some are stark reminders of how my life and my thoughts have changed. One particular paper I found was 22 pages long, typed on erasable bond paper. Are you old enough to remember erasable […]

I’ve been tossing out lots of old papers for the past couple of days. I have about a dozen boxes in my storage shed full of old papers from college, seminary, grad school, and 25 years at the counseling center, along with lots of miscellaneous stuff. The box I chose to start on contains mostly […]

This past Wednesday was Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. Again this year I gathered with folks at the church for this somber service. When the time came, I took my place in line and moved forward so that I could have ashes placed on my forehead. The whole experience flooded me with memories. One […]

I watched a little drama unfold in the hallway of the Counseling Center one morning several years ago. One of my colleagues has been teaching another colleague how to knit. The new student of knitting brought his first product to work to show. It was the first 12” of a scarf. He proudly displayed it […]

The old adage, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me,” has never been true. Words are powerful and have the potential to hurt, to comfort, to enrage, to heal. A few weeks ago in a Reporter News opinion article, the author lamented the loss of toughness in our society […]

I have been studying Matthew 7:21-23 this week in preparation for a sermon. This text seems particularly important during this election season. In this curious teaching, Jesus describes the plight of those who say, “Lord, Lord, look at the wonderful things I have done in your name.” They make claims of incredible deeds done in […]

“Sexual assault is terrible, but it doesn’t really affect me.”                         -Most Men We men find it pretty easy to distance ourselves from sexual violence. We assume it only affects those few women who talk about their experiences. We know sexual assault should not […]

Teachable moments. A teachable moment is an unplanned, fleeting opportunity in which circumstance and readiness come together in a single experience. Such a moment provides a timely opportunity for a new insight to emerge. Effective teachers and parents recognize them. So do effective bosses and supervisors. These moments of insight and growth rarely present themselves […]

I have had three moments to remember my mother in the past couple of days, a mixed bag of sadness, gratitude, and the kind of feeling you get when your mother hugs you. She has been dead for 14 years, and I cherish those moments when I have not just thoughts, but experiences of her. […]