Ordinary Time – the Days that Matter the Most

May 20, 2013 By Leave a Comment
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People who follow the "Christian Year" know that the Bible readings from December through Pentecost are designed to cover the story of God's restorative plan for the cosmos revealed in the person and work of Jesus Christ.  Today begins the long stretch in that same calendar called "Ordinary Time". Ordinary is a word we don't use much at all, and nearly never in a flattering way.  "It was an ordinary day" means that nothing exciting happened.  "Just another day..." we say, to describe the … [Read more...]

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The value of trials – lessons from just below St. Helen’s summmit

May 13, 2013 By 1 Comment
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Stuff happens.  Job loss.  Marriage challenges.  Parenting that wearies you to the bone.  Accidents.  Health.  Money.  Wendell Berry says, "By expenditure of hope, Intelligence and work, You think you have it fixed; It is unfixed by rule" Life happens and it's the unexpected turns that reveal what we're made of.  This is a priceless gift, because if we're teachable, we'll adapt, adjust, and come back stronger.  Here's what I mean: The alarm goes off at 3AM and it … [Read more...]

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Letters to the Three Moms in my life: I can’t thank you enough

May 11, 2013 By 1 Comment
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In honor of mother's day, I wanted to write some notes to each of the three moms in my life.  Of course, none of them were or are, perfect.  But I'm fortunate, in that each of them are easy to honor.   My mother-in-law is equally wonderful, but this blog's already too long to add a fourth mom, so I'll just say thanks here.   In the comments feel free to share how your mom has been a gift to you. To my mom by adoption:  Happy Mothers day to the one who was, in nearly every sense of … [Read more...]

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Why Caring for the Earth matters to Christ…and you

May 9, 2013 By 2 Comments
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" And yet what is the burden of the Bible if not a sense of the mutuality of influence, rising out of the essential unity among soul and body and community and world?  These are all the works of God and it is therefore the work of virtue to make or restore harmony among them"   Wendell Barry "This is what God planned for the climax of all times: to bring all things together in Christ, the things in heaven along with the things on earth" - Paul the Apostle I'll never forget an experience … [Read more...]

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Old Testament God: Angry fundamentalist, or loving friend? And why it matters!

May 3, 2013 By 1 Comment

In my Bible reading this morning, I came across the phrase "put away the foreign gods" and realized that it comes up over and over again the Old Testament.  Instead of creating and arrogant and judgmental provincialism, pondering what it means for us today could lead to a whole new way of living: Thoughtful people sometimes have a hard time reading the Old Testament because the Old Testament God as mean, judgmental, violent, utterly other than the God of the New Testament, where Christ is … [Read more...]

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Two qualities we all need in order to become better leaders

May 1, 2013 By Leave a Comment
trail breaking is just like any other leadership

Look at any cultural institution:  family, church, education, government - and you'll quickly find evidence of a leadership crisis.  Broken marriages, absent parents, hypocrisy and power abuse, and the obvious lack of moral fiber to make hard decisions are evidence that the crisis is an epidemic.  The fruits of these failures is a polarized culture addicted to trivialities, power, and the value of appearance over substance.  It can feel overwhelming, but there's something each of us can … [Read more...]

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The Best Version of Myself… What’s the recipe?

April 24, 2013 By 1 Comment
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With vacation, a planned hike to the summit of St. Helen's, and a climbing project brewing that I'm excited about sharing later, I recently reread a book called "Bone Games: Extreme Sports, Shaminism, Zen, and the Search for Transcendence".  Rob opens with the story of his most desperate moment.  He's fallen, is seriously injured and stranded on a small ledge with hundreds of vertical feet below waiting to devour him when he tries to down climb - with his injury - in the dark - in the snow.  … [Read more...]

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What’s the Most Important thing in Life? Ask the Tree

April 19, 2013 By Leave a Comment
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Something's going on in my backyard which has been immensely helpful in reminding me of what the highest priority should be in both my personal and professional life.  When we moved to Seattle 17+ years ago, we brought a California redwood tree with us that was, at the time, about 7 feet tall.  We planted it, along with several other big evergreen trees, in our backyard because my wife and I don't like yard work.  The best way to avoid such labor in the Pacific Northwest is to make your own … [Read more...]

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Marathon Bombs and Baseball’s Best – Lessons on life vs. death from April 15th

April 16, 2013 By 2 Comments

Yesterday, as often happens, sport became the backdrop for something larger.  It also happened to be something horrific as Boston blew.  But sport and life were celebrated yesterday too, because April 15th is Jackie Robinson day in Major League Baseball every year.  We do well to ponder, celebrate, and learn, especially this year, when fear is crouching at the door, inviting violence. His story can teach us a few things about the only good way forward.  Here's why: April 15th, 1947, in a … [Read more...]

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TMI – How Bible Reading can be Bad for your Spiritual Health

April 2, 2013 By 43 Comments
Reading about mountains is different than climbing them

Some of the most important truths in the Bible are found in obscure passages that never made the highlight reel of miracles, crosses, virgin births, and empty tombs.  Tucked away, for example, between Jesus healing of a sick man by a fountain, and his feeding multiple thousands with a few loaves of bread, I found one the most powerful, and least talked about statements Jesus ever made.  His miracles created quite a stir among people who had a stake in the religious status quo, and as a result, … [Read more...]

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