Whatever they thought they'd be doing right now, they're probably not. So many plans of our children and youth have been upended by this global pandemic. All of their activities, travels, competitions, and diversions have been interrupted. Normal things like play-dates, parties, dances, and "going out" look different. Their school year ended weirdly last spring, and even though some sports started up again in June, we've seen many instances of this team dropping out of the competition because of a member with Coronavirus, or that league suspending its season for the same reason. I don't … [Read more...] about Looking After Our Young
Coronavirus
The Lure of “Back to Normal”
After months of physical distancing and extreme surface-cleansing, it's no wonder we'd like to go back to the way things were. Some of us have jumped in with both feet upon cancelled executive orders that are "reopening the economy." Snapshots of people in restaurants, at rallies, and in grocery stores could almost make you think we're done with the Coronavirus. Cue our collective sigh of relief. Finally. As a pastor, I'm watching a range of conversations about when and how we return to our church buildings. I hear the cries of church folk who long to be back in worship, "back to normal," … [Read more...] about The Lure of “Back to Normal”
For a Time of Empty Hands
I don't know your personal circumstances or the details of what's keeping you up nights right now. But I almost certainly know something that's true about you, in this season. Your hands are too empty. It may not feel that way, because you've probably said, more than once in recent weeks, "I've got my hands full," with this decision or that one, or hammering out some strategy that you hope will get you through this time, or trying to homeschool and work and keep yourself sober. But in a time of no answersno certaintyno controlnot enough of some things (toilet paper, PPE, groceries … [Read more...] about For a Time of Empty Hands
Loving One Another
It's Holy Week and so Jesus says, again, during his last supper with his disciples: "love one another" (John 13.34). I think he's saying it to us, too, looking us straight in the eye: "Love one another, now. I mean it." We might say, "But Jesus, have you ever been locked in with your family for weeks at a time, with nowhere to go, with spotty Wifi, with no new Saturday Night Live, with people dying and jobs ending and no end in sight?" Jesus doesn't say "Love one another when they're not on your last nerve." He tells us to love "as I have loved you," Drat. It's like those … [Read more...] about Loving One Another
A Time for Foolishness
It tickles me that there's a day set aside for foolishness. April Fool's Day is a favorite tradition in my family. Or, if you asked my (now-grown-up) boys, it might be more correct to say it's a favorite tradition for me. Every year, I make it a point to see what I can get someone to fall for. One year, my husband was flattered that I had submitted his name to be a contestant on an IPTV "Chopped"-style competition for local chefs, and I had just gotten word that he was "in." My oldest son thought that was amazing, too, and was so proud of his dad. Until I told them it was an April Fool. … [Read more...] about A Time for Foolishness