Ok folks. Happy to announce that I will also be coming to LA, DC, NYC and Philly soon! Spread the word to anyone you know in these cities who might want to listen to me gab or maybe just win a cassette tape of The Ramones. October 29th 7p: LA area All Saints Church 132 N. Euclid Avenue Pasadena CA 91101 https://www.facebook.com/events/638566812844514/   November 5th 7p: Washington DC (this event includes a bonus panel discussion with Amy Butler about the future... Read more

2013-10-13 nbw HFASS sermon 2 <—–click here to listen along. This week one of you apologetically mentioned that you have been meaning to write me a thank-you note about something  – and given our Gospel reading about the grateful leper who came back and thanked Jesus, I began thinking about what a terrible thank-you note writer I am. Not for lack of trying on my mom’s part, I mean, Peggy did everything she could. And like every other kid who received... Read more

2013-10-06 nbw hfass sermon 2 <—-click here to hear a real, live preacher. When I was a little girl, I was given a small necklace.  It was a Christian necklace, see, but it held, not a little gold cross or a silver Jesus fish symbol-thing. No.  Hanging from this gold chain was a small, clear, plastic orb – that contained within it a tiny round seed.  You might see where this is going…it was a mustard seed.  If you have faith... Read more

2013-09-22 NBW hfass sermon <—- click here to listen along (the laughter at HFASS is totally worth hearing) Just for the record I really did try this week while on countless airplanes and in countless hotel rooms to steal 20 minutes here and there and write a proper sermon as though I was really here in town and among you this week. I tried. And I failed.  I don’t want to totally blame the lectionary on this but seriously, that is... Read more

2013-09-01 2-1<—–Click here to listen along! I have this friend Caitlin who tends to just tell me the truth about things,  which isn’t always comfortable. Caitlin and I close friends but are really different people, and years ago we were both planning our 40th birthday parties – mine was a roller disco party at a rink I rented out – and hers was a group of close friends watching the sunrise on a hill over looking the city  -which made... Read more

Hello friends! 20 days until my book, Pastrix: The Cranky, Beautiful Faith of a Sinner & Saint, comes out and I take off for book events in a few cities. I’m excited to share this book – a theological memoir about my life and faith and that of others who God has put in my path. That is to say, it is theology done in the first person; an imperfect confession of faith by an imperfect person of faith. My... Read more

Just to get it out there, this story about Mary and Martha has always irritated me, because I think Martha is awesome, and she’s always made out to be a busy-body and a whiner. See, Jesus is welcomed into the home of Mary and Martha and the thing to understand is that Jesus didn’t exactly travel alone.  Dude had an entourage – so to welcome Jesus is to welcome who Jesus brings in with him.  And to extend hospitality to... Read more

(sorry, no audio this week) “it is an unhappy business that God has given to human beings to be busy with. 14I saw all the deeds that are done under the sun; and see, all is vanity and a chasing after wind.” Ecclesiastes 1:13-14 Welcome to Ecclesiastes. All is vanity.  Nothing ends up mattering.  Everything for which we toil is fricken pointless. We are born and grow up and then just work and work for what? And then we just... Read more