From the sublime to the mundane, today's offering is the air fryer--which we discovered via my Auntie Margaret during a stay with her in Richmond in late October. Dan ordered one that arrived here the same day we flew home, and we have used it at least daily ever since. The air fryer essentially operates as a small convection oven that doesn't take time or energy to pre-heat. The "fryer" part of its name is a little misleading, although it can be used to cook sweet potato fries (my favorite!) or other fried foods that you might previously have prepared in a deep fat fryer. We are enjoying … [Read more...] about 3rd Day of Christmas: Air Fryer
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2nd Day of Christmas: Being a Patr(e)on
For the second day of Christmas, I'm sharing a musical resource that has enriched 2017 for me. It combines inspiring music that is useful in my ministry with the opportunity to support a talented, independent, progressive musician--of which there are far too few. I speak of the Patreon site of my friend Richard Bruxvoort Colligan, who creates worship songs for the church. Through Patreon, you sign up as a "patron," which allows you to pledge a certain amount for each song Richard releases. Depending on the level of your support, you receive by download some combination of .mp3 recordings, … [Read more...] about 2nd Day of Christmas: Being a Patr(e)on
1st Day of Christmas 2017: LeVar Burton Reads
I've been thinking about some books, podcasts, resources and products that have enriched 2017 for me. Starting a day late, I thought I'd share one for each of the 12 days of Christmas. I'd love to hear from you what would be on YOUR list. For the 1st day of Christmas, I want to lift up LeVar Burton Reads. It's a podcast by the actor you may know from Star Trek, who hosted Reading Rainbow, a PBS children's show that ran for more than twenty years. This time, Burton reads short stories, aimed at us grown-ups. The podcast debuted in June, with 12 episodes and a couple of bonus episodes so far. … [Read more...] about 1st Day of Christmas 2017: LeVar Burton Reads
Unlikely Christmas Caring
Over the next few days, 52 police chiefs in 52 police departments around the nation will receive an envelope from Women at the Well, a church inside the Iowa women’s prison. The envelope contains Christmas cards and a letter from me, the pastor of this amazing church. The Christmas cards are handmade. Some include hand-drawn trees and figures. Others have images and words cut out of a prior season’s cards and rearranged on a piece of construction paper, cardstock, or scrapbook paper. Most have a handwritten note. Words like “Thank you for your service,” or “My prayers are with you and your … [Read more...] about Unlikely Christmas Caring
The Uneasy Empty Chair
For 25 years, there's been an empty chair at the Thanksgiving table, my friend said (I'll call her Carol). Perhaps not literally. No one expected Carol's nephew to show up, so perhaps there wasn’t actually a place set, knowing it would stay empty, at the big dining table where the family would gather. But Peter's absence diminished those feasts. The chair he should have occupied was empty. No one would lovingly prepare that odd corn relish that, for years, Peter had said was his favorite. He was definitely missed. For the first few of those years, there was some story. He had to be … [Read more...] about The Uneasy Empty Chair
Yes, but will we welcome them
Many of us have hailed the news, over past months, that President Obama has commuted the sentences of hundreds of federal prisoners, most of them incarcerated with draconian sentences for nonviolent drug offenses. President Obama has granted clemency at a rate far in excess of other recent presidents. This reflects, it seems, a growing bipartisan recognition that mandatory minimum sentences have not served us well. Great news, we might say. But will we welcome them? In other news, we are beginning to see the release of juvenile offenders whose mandatory life sentences were declared … [Read more...] about Yes, but will we welcome them