I watch as snow drifts down like ash. At first it’s beautiful and surprising – snow in Austin! The last time I remember a significant snow was just after moving here twelve years ago. We had a snow of 2-3 inches that year, just enough for the kids to build a tiny snowman on the … read more
: Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19 • Isaiah 64:1-9 • 1 Corinthians 1:3-9 • Mark 13:24-37 In our passage from Mark’s gospel today, Jesus delivers a bracing wake up call to his followers. It’s going to get worse before it gets better. The sun will darken. The stars will fall. There will be suffering. Heaven and earth […]
On my first trip to the southwest with the woman who would become my wife, I took in the arid earth, the minimalist flora and fauna, the dust and rock, and thought this must be what the moon is like. I had lived in the east my whole life, only venturing west to ski in […]
Psalm 146, 147, 111, 112, 113 • Amos 1:1-5, 13-2:8 • Luke 21:5-19 I wake up, shower, make coffee, and drive to work. It’s pretty much the same every day. And on the way, I am likely to turn on NPR. The rhythm and routine, the familiar voices, and the thoughtful journalism have made me […]
At lunch today, a student said, “If you are going to talk about life, you have to talk about death.” I think she’s right. Ash Wednesday is one of the days we talk about death. We talk not just with words but with the act of imposition. We are imprinted with the dust that […]
Readings Leviticus 19:1–2, 11–18 Psalm 19:7–14 Matthew 25:31–46
At lunch today, a student said, “If you are going to talk about life, you have to talk about death.” I think she’s right. Ash Wednesday is one of the days we talk about death. We talk not just with words but with the act of imposition. We are imprinted with the dust that […]
Psalm 146, 147, 111–113 • Isaiah 1:1–19 • Matthew 25:1–13 During our years living in northeastern Pennsylvania, Advent coincided with short days, long nights, and the first flush of winter. In Austin, Advent coincides with sunny days, outdoor events, and moderate temperatures that finally mark the end of lingering heat. The variation in how we […]
October, 9, 2018 is John Hines Day, when Seminary of the Southwest pauses to remember the founding vision of Bishop John Hines, and celebrate the members of the John Hines Legacy Society. The day was Thursday, October 15, 1964. The St. Louis Cardinals were playing host to the New York Yankees in game seven of […]
As we move toward the upcoming inauguration of Donald Trump, I am aware that many in this country feel trepidation and fear. People of color, women, sexual minorities, disabled persons, and immigrants all came under attack during Trump’s campaign, and in the construction of his cabinet, President-Elect Trump has done little to signal support for […]