On Wednesdays and Fridays I am hungry, but it is on those days that I am closest to being satisfied. On the Wednesdays and Fridays of Lent I fast, following the ancient Christian tradition of abstaining from all caloric foods and drinks twice weekly. This was a tradition regained by the early Methodists with their efforts to reinvigorate Christianity as a practice—in choosing this twice weekly fast I am in good company. There are of course a number of things... Read more
Ash, you should know, is a great source of phosphorus and potassium—two members of the essential soil chemical triad of Nitrogen-Phosphorous-Potassium (N-P-K). We should remember this as we go into Ash Wednesday, a solemn day in which we meditate on our mortality and finitude. In thinking of our death we must also recognize that our mortality is tied to the nutrient cycles of the earth, that our bodies are a source of new life. As Ashes are imposed in the... Read more
I went for a long run today and it wasn’t easy. I can usually go ten miles at a pretty good pace without too much worry, but on today’s run my legs felt stiff and my heart rate was too high for the pace. I’m a bit out of running shape, but I don’t worry. I’ve been doing other things over the winter, lifting weights, getting stronger, but now with an ultramarathon and triathlon on the calendar for the spring,... Read more
Just in time for lent McDonald’s is releasing its newest product—the Fish McBite. For those who grew up with the Friday Filet-O-Fish, this new McDonald’s treat is a “healthy” twist on the old favorite. Best of all it is sustainable. The fish in the McBites are 100% wild-caught Alaskan Pollock from a sustainable fishery. Next time you’re in the drive through you can feel good about the battered fish bites you’re putting in your mouth. I thought of the Fish... Read more
When I was in high school I took up bird watching and found lots of rare birds. I would go to places and habitats at times of years where a rare bird might occur. There would be a flock of thousands of birds and I’d pick through every one, on many occasions, on the off chance that one time I’d find something out of the ordinary. And I would often find something that didn’t belong–a bird from Argentina in Arkansas,... Read more
How is it that the word becomes flesh? We may find some help toward an answer in a post at the New Yorker in which Brad Leithauser reflects on the importance of memorizing poetry, even in an age of smart phones and instant Google access. We should memorize poetry, he concludes, because doing so is a way of making the words of poetry a part of the body. The best argument for verse memorization may be that it provides us with knowledge... Read more
Theologian Gerhard Lohfink asks a provocative question: “Does God need the church?” In his book titled with that question, he answers with a resounding “yes!” The church, he argues, is essential to God’s mission and work in the world. But for those of us sitting in many churches on Sunday morning it is hard to see how God might need us. We look around at our half empty pews and we see a dying church, an aging congregation. Then we... Read more
“Running is spiritual” Doug Pagitt argued during his six minute, forty second Pecha Kucha talk at the Emergent gathering last weekend. For such a short talk, it has stuck with me more than any part of the hour long lectures. It stuck because it resonated deeply—it said what I’ve also been experiencing. Pagitt gave the presentation wearing a can’t-miss-it orange Nike shirt that said in big letters “Running Sucks.” He then told the story of how he started running, like... Read more
For the past couple of days I’ve been listening to Phyllis Tickle and her friends explore the landscape of Emergence Christianity. There was much provocation, a lot of questions asked and answered, and some deep and meaningful insights that I’ll be carrying with me for at least the coming weeks, if not longer. For the next few days I’ll be unpacking some of my thoughts in response to the conference as I work through them. Today’s post, then, is sort... Read more
I’ve been wearing a watch recently. It’s nice—it tells me the time. I’ve also been carrying a pocket calendar. It has dates with space to put in appointments and a few blank pages for notes. I also have a phone I’ve been using. It has internet access if I absolutely need it, but a painful pared down version—it is not “smart.” I text now only for critical messages, my phone’s non-QWERT keyboard is too cumbersome. Shortly before Christmas my iPhone... Read more
Word + Flesh
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