“My business is circumference,” wrote the poet Emily Dickinson. How can a nineteenth-century poet act as an insider? Using a geometric measure, Dickinson creates an analogy to show how her poetry encompasses — draws a circle — around life’s experiences. This circumference was the picture for her poetry. This is fascinating since Dickinson was a…
A new neighbor moved in across the street from my parent’s home. Stopping his lawnmower, my dad walked across the street to meet him. Repeated street crossings produced an amicable friendship and then the discovery was made. The new neighbor was a widower and had lung cancer. My dad began to help him do odd…
The Scandal of Holiness: Renewing Your Imagination in the Company of Literary Saints by Jessica Hooten Wilson “Stories are capable of inspiring people to change their lives,” writes Jessica Hooten Wilson. She then builds a case for gaining holiness through reading fiction. Here’s a quote that will capture your attention: “I would argue that reading…
The doomsday countdown had begun. Living in captivity, without official representation, Israel faced extermination (Esther 3:8-11). The situation seemed helpless. But wait, there was an “insider” in the king’s palace — someone who was close to the king and shared his trust. Her name was Esther and she was providentially appointed “for such a time…
What’s happened since my previous posting about observing Lent? My Protestant tradition seldom emphasizes Lent so I’m a novice at its practice. With Easter now over, what did I learn from my Lenten experience? Will I practice it in the future? Here are some reflections from a backwards look. First, I’ve discovered that change is…
In a world filled with distractions, it’s easy to struggle with engaging deeply with the Bible. You may find yourself reading the words but feeling disconnected from the life-changing power in them. Sometimes the Bible seems intimidating — or maybe even . . . boring? Holding the Word offers an exciting, holistic and relational approach to interacting…
The event of April 8, 2024, only happens every few decades. It was the day of a total solar eclipse. The path of the eclipse included northern Ohio, so several of our family members secured an Airbnb for the weekend and positioned ourselves to watch. What an amazing show! The moon slowly covered the face…
Imagine kissing someone through a pane of glass. What a funny image! Who would do that? We might blow a kiss to someone as they walk away. We might jokingly imitate a kiss to another through a glass window. But no two people would exchange a purposeful kiss through glass, especially when the real thing…
I generally don’t pay much attention to the ancient church calendar. I’m not sure all the reasons why but the worship circles I frequently populate do not put an emphasis on the church calendar particularly Lent. But something is changing for me. I’ve been awakened to think of these church seasons in a new way…
The Bible is a book about holding. Now, this shouldn’t surprise us since we all hold things. Holding on to something is a natural part of life. We hold in a variety of ways, and with a variety of people. Holding can be an intellectual activity: “I finally got ahold of geometry.” Holding is a…