If you are coulrophobic, you may not want to read this blog entry. In the annals of my life on the staff of the strangest church in the universe, today we turn to the topic of the 1986 Calvary church directory, on the church staff page of which there is a picture of Daffa-Dilly, the Clown-in-Residence. Now, I admit that I do not have as much church experience as some seasoned church professionals, but WHO HAS A CLOWN IN RESIDENCE... Read more

Today I am thinking about my oldest, Hayden, who left very early this morning for seven weeks in Hawaii with his grandparents and uncles.  I’m really proud of him and excited about this new stage of life, remembering what it felt like when I first spent time away from home, tried something new, got my first part-time job.  He’s worked very hard to get ready, babysitting all year long to pay for his airplane ticket and the big adventure finally... Read more

There are many different expressions of ministry, as those of us who spend substantial time in the church office devising ways to catch rats know full well.  My friend Jim Dupont would say he LEFT ministry when he made the decision to leave the Catholic priesthood, but I maintain that his current work as a massage therapist is definitely ministry. The one tiny problem with Jim’s ministry as it relates to my life, however, is that two years ago he... Read more

I wouldn’t say I am utterly desperate for blog material for my 30 Day Blogging Challenge just yet, but I would say I am keeping my eyes open for any possibility of something to write about here EVERY SINGLE DAY.  Tomorrow comes pretty quickly, I’ve found …almost like since I’ve become a pastor one Sunday comes almost instantaneously after another. So, when a friend wrote and mentioned she was enjoying my everyday blogging in this 30 Day Blogging Challenge, I... Read more

I was in the car yesterday afternoon listening to NPR.  Listening to NPR on Sunday afternoons is perhaps one of my favorite things to do.  On this particular afternoon our station was airing The Moth Radio Hour from WNYC.  I happened to catch the part of the show when Andrew Solomon was on stage telling of his quest to find any and all cures for depression. After suffering for years and years from depression himself then working his way out... Read more

I guess the old saying “it’s just like riding a bike” is literally true, because today I took a bike ride for the first time in I can’t remember when.  I was a little nervous about getting up there at the beginning of the ride, but my biking partner Hannah was very encouraging.  After the first few wobbly minutes it all came back to me, and by the end of the ride I was biking like Lance Armstrong. Okay, maybe not.... Read more

Sharing a poem by Mary Oliver today.  She is one of my favorite poets, and lately I have been starting my days sitting on the porch reading her poems.  She writes about nature much more deeply than I ever could, but every time I read her poems I am surprised at the resonance I feel to her metaphors.  Sometimes she even makes me think about moments in which I have been moved by nature. This particular poem stuck out to... Read more

I received an email today from the church council of a church in another state, writing to thank members of Calvary for caring for one of their members by visiting her brother in the hospital here in DC. The situation was very difficult, for sure.  This man was facing a marathon medical challenge at a hospital far away from any family.  A situation that normally would be an overwhelmingly lonely and fear-filled one became much more intensely so.  So, in... Read more

Over the years that I’ve been blogging there have been times when I’ve blogged more often than others.  This year in particular I’ve had a hard time meeting the 2-3 times per week pace that I customarily like to keep.  It’s true, life’s been especially challenging this year, and I have been writing regularly over at the Associated Baptist Press, but for many reasons it’s time to get back on track.  Writing is a discipline, not just an activity for... Read more