Judy and I are currently hooked on one of those Netflix series that each time we watch it, we say, “Maybe we shouldn’t be watching this.” It’s violent and generally depraved, but oh, so addictive. The main evil character in the story is a ruthless, self-serving person who appears to have no conscience and no […]
Lent: Getting beyond being comfortable
Jesus grew in spiritual maturity the same way we do; through experience, exploration, doubting, questioning, disappointment, all the ways we learn. Jesus spent his boyhood like every other boy in his town. He went to the temple to learn from the rabbis about Jewish history and legend and law, all from the books of law, […]
Lent: We are in good company
When we set aside 40 days for self-reflection, we are in good company. Jesus did that. The scripture traditionally used for the first Sunday of Lent describes the 40 days Jesus spent in the wilderness. Biblical literalists would have us believe that Jesus encountered a physical Satan, was taken up to the pinnacle of a […]
Lent: Recognizing pettiness
I agree with Richard Rohr, one of my favorite theologians, who wrote, “Christians are usually sincere and well-intentioned people until you get to any real issues of ego, control, power, money, pleasure, and security. Then the tend to be pretty much like everybody else.” Ouch. I think he’s talking about me. I consider myself a […]
Lent: Examining what doesn’t fit
I have some old t-shirts in a box under my bed. Several of those shirts are for running 10K races back in the 80s. Some I bought at memorable concerts. Others declare my membership with some group from years gone by. All are waaaay too small now. What I once wore with pride and pleasure […]
Lent: Identifying self-distortions
Today is the first Sunday of Lent. The season of Lent began last week with Ash Wednesday and continues for the next 6 weeks. One of many words I have heard to describe this season is “Self-reflection.” I take this to mean this is a time to look at ourselves, not in a self-serving or […]
“Me too” campaign a sobering reminder
The “#Me too” movement has been sobering for me as I watched many of my female friends, former colleagues, and family members use social media to speak out about their own experiences of sexual harassment, assault, or rape. Those two simple words, “Me too,” have revealed how pervasive the problem is in every institution and […]
Cottage finale
Today concludes my visit to the cottage in Kittery, Maine, and it brings an end to 22 annual visit by the Powell brothers. We decided via email earlier this year that it was our last visit to the cottage that was part of our childhood and now a significant part of our adult lives. The […]
The road
This is the road to the cottage. A small numbered sign on Old Denntt Road, visible only to those looking for it, is all that gives it away. You have to be looking for the tire ruts that simply appear between two trees, and then, by faith, you drive into the woods. This was the […]
What would we do without distractions?
Oh the ways I find to distract myself. Here I am at the cottage in Maine with no electricity and, consequently, fewer distractions. It was dark by 7:30 last night. At 8:00 I turned off my laptop to conserve power for the morning. Then what? No TV to watch episodes of something I don’t really […]