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, […]
LENT: Unlearning
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 […]
Letting go, holding on: stuff
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 […]
Ash Wednesday: Holding on, Letting go
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 […]
Lent 2019: Holding on, Letting go
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 […]