An Invitation to be Restored
On Sunday my pastor preached on the passage of Peter’s denial of Jesus from John 18. And he said something that I’ve never once considered when I’ve looked at this particular part of the crucifixion...
View Articlesome FOUND outtakes, vol. 6
Mid-May – Sunday after Ascension Day “To embrace the Ascension is to heave a sigh of relief, to give up the struggle to be God (and with it the inevitable despair at our constant failure), and to enjoy...
View ArticleAn Invitation to Make Vows, Imperfectly
This past Sunday I was ordained an elder in my church. Though it’s the first time I’ve mentioned it here, the process of becoming an elder has been a year in the making. I’ve been training and...
View ArticleDeacons and Elders and Me
In the church of my childhood they were all called deacons. The men who met once a month to lead the work of the church. Some managed the finances. Some oversaw the care of widows and the poor. They...
View ArticleWhen pastors fail
I’m over at A Deeper Story today writing about an issue that continues to come close to my life: Can we protect our pastors from shame and ministry-destroying failure? Is it possible that we–their...
View ArticleAdvent Church: Celebrating St. Nicholas
On December 6th when my anxious nature woke me early, demanding I scrub the bathroom, order my nieces and nephews their presents from Amazon, and address my Christmas cards, I rebelled. Instead, I let...
View ArticleThe Tightly Stitched Gathering of God
“Payton,” I say, “I was baptized when I was seven, too.” In my memories I don’t see myself—the permed blonde frizz on my head, the teeth too big for my skinny face, the courage I must have held to...
View ArticleThe Ashes and the Being Made Whole
I published this piece two years ago at A Deeper Story, but I’ve never shared its entirety over here. Today is Ash Wednesday: let’s think about wholeness, okay? I had planned to worship beside my...
View ArticleMy very last Deeper Story post
As you may or may not know, A Deeper Story is closing its doors this month. It’s the right thing for the site, but it’s bittersweet. Through Deeper Story, I’ve found a sweet community of writers,...
View ArticleCultivate: Choosing Love & Humility Over Rightness, or When Resurrection is...
I could say that my silence here has been because I’ve been “busy.” And that would be true, at least partially. Busy covers a multitude of realities, doesn’t it? But if I want to be honest about the...
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