Since 1982 I have read T.S. Eliot’s poem Journey of the Magi in Christmas worship every year. I could not imagine an Advent season without Eliot’s words and questions. Early on in my many years of serving a most caring congregation in Kansas City I mentioned my love of this poem and from that momentContinue reading “Journey of the Magi”
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Miracles occur!
‘Tis the season of miracles, at least that is what the gospels tell us. As Advent moves on, picking up speed as Christmas fast approaches, we begin to say to ourselves “I will never be ready” Seriously, how can anyone ever be ready for God’s inbreaking presence. Let us not fool ourselves, let us receiveContinue reading “Miracles occur!”
La Corona: Annunciation
The photograph above is from The Cathedral of The Immaculate Conception, Wichita, Kansas. Choosing an image, of the story of the angel Gabriel announcing to Mary that she would give birth to God’s son, is quite a challenge (Luke 1:26-38). Some of the greatest artists over many centuries depict this moment only through “western eyes.”Continue reading “La Corona: Annunciation”
Hill Christmas
The weather here in St. louis MO. doesn’t feel like Christmas. A few days ago we had 70 degrees in the early afternoon! Climate change for sure! Yet in the coming days Christmas cards will arrive with plenty of snow on the front covers! This morning, I pulled from my bookshelf a few of R.S.Continue reading “Hill Christmas”
Some days a prayer utters itself
I have a childhood memory of the BBC radio news playing from the kitchen in the morning while I was getting ready for school. As in the evening, so in the morning, the radio news concluded with the weather forecast which was then followed by the “shipping forecast” and the naming of the “fishing” groundsContinue reading “Some days a prayer utters itself”
Sometimes!
We often carry in our hearts and souls lots of anxiety for the plight of our world, our cities, our neighborhoods. We fret over how scarce peace is, we worry about the “what ifs” so today take a short break and allow Sheenagh Pugh’s poem Sometimes to offer some rescue. I encourage you to takeContinue reading “Sometimes!”
Take me back, take me way back!
In sharp contrast to my last post, I turn today with something very different. At present I sit surrounded by boxes as I prepare to move house in the next couple of days! We have not been in this one very long but it holds many memories. We could call it our Covid-19 sojourn! TheContinue reading “Take me back, take me way back!”
The Mole!
A couple of years ago I had the opportunity to spend a few days at Yale University. It was a wonderful opportunity to be in the company of both theologians and poets. The host of the event was Christian Wiman, who teaches Literature and Religion at Yale Divinity School. In his book Hammer is theContinue reading “The Mole!”
Nursery Rhymes
There was an old woman who lived in a shoe; Old mother Hubbard went to the cupboard; Humpty dumpty sat on a wall; All for the want of a nail the war was lost! Really, when you think about it these rhymes are not all lovely stories yet we have delighted in telling these rhymesContinue reading “Nursery Rhymes”
water is the finest drink
And soit has taken meall of sixty yearsto understandthat water is the finest drink,and bread the most delicious food,and that art is worthlessunless it plantsa measure of splendor in people’s hearts. The poem above is written by the Palestinian poet Taha Muhammad Ali. Ali was born in 1931 in the Galilee village of Saffuriya. HeContinue reading “water is the finest drink”
Prayers, Poems, and Christian Ponderings 