When taking our first steps in the spiritual life, it can be easy to see things as this or that, black or white, and right or wrong.
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I was born in 1976. My generation was/is unique in that we grew up living in a world where personal computers were just starting to become available to the everyday pedestrian. We also remember a world before the internet. (Yes, there was a time where the internet was non-existent).
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As I've gotten to know the stories of those in our congregation over the past year, one of the things that stands out to me is how so many of us entered the doors of our building for the first time deciding to give God one last try.
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I’ve been coaching a few folks (in whom I see enormous potential) to write sermons. To be helpful, I compiled a shortlist of some things that have been helpful to me so that they can keep them handy. None of the materials are profound or exhaustive, but if you are a communicator of ideas, they may be useful to you.
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If you attend Church In Bethesda on a regular basis, you know that I do my best not to use the pulpit as a platform for my political opinions. That’s a hard line for me to walk as a pastor, father, voter, and pedestrian with strong political views.
I keep those opinions to myself at times, not out of fear, but out of respect for where people are in their journey of life and faith.
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In Sunday’s sermon, I mentioned that I’d post some resources here that further elaborate on some of the streams of thought that I’ve studied, causing me to rethink my views on the afterlife, Heaven, and Hell.
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I spent nearly two days stranded in the Atlanta airport last week.
My Thursday flight back to New York was rescheduled, then delayed, then rescheduled, then finally cancelled at around 11PM.
I found a cheap hotel just a few miles from the airport and was told by customer service to return to the airport for a 12:30PM flight the next day.
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For those of you who you attend CiB regularly, it’s likely that you’ve seen or met Bob and Donna Z. They use the last name “Z.” because Bob will tell you that it’s too difficult to remember how to spell their full last name.
Donna is a retired schoolteacher and poet. From time to time, she writes prayers and benedictions for our liturgies.
We are including last week’s opening prayer here.
May its depth and beauty guide you throughout your week.
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I've mentioned at church that work will be highly stressful for me, likely for the rest of this year, so I keep praying for wisdom and peace.
This newer spiritual practice that I've adopted comes from the abbess, mystic, and theologian, Julian of Norwich. (1342 – c. 1416). Julian was also the first English woman to author a book.
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A friend and I went to two art exhibits past weekend. We decided to hit them up in succession. The first, a kind of stream of consciousness, acid trip, color-drenched, maximalist presentation of (in my opinion) carefully placed junk.
It wasn't my thing, but my friend really wanted to go, so I obliged, knowing that our second stop would be at a museum of contemporary art, much more my style…
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At the breakfast table, I clasp my hands and recite the same words that I recite every morning, words that have become a worn and beautiful path. "Let me not so much seek to be consoled as to console / to be forgiven as to forgive / and to be loved as to love." Hearing my one-year-old crunch cereal in his high chair next to me, I glance up to ensure he’s not choking. He grins at me and I continue…
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