How to Read the Bible without Dealing with God

John Calvin, Obedience, Knowledge of God

If you want to live well and to share wisdom with your children and your neighbors about how they can also live well, the Bible will chart a sound course. If you are looking for inspiration or comfort or if you are preparing a speech, you will certainly want to lift some of the soaring… Continue reading How to Read the Bible without Dealing with God

A Bundle of Letters on the Church’s Doorstep

When a pastoral search goes well, everyone wins. Last year when a soft-spoken lobsterman rose to his feet and challenged us at Spruce Head Community to seek a shepherd who would lead us and love us, we began praying and seeking to that end. The seeking and the finding has united us, and we are… Continue reading A Bundle of Letters on the Church’s Doorstep

Life, Life, and More Life

We picked raspberries a couple of weeks ago -- the free kind that grow along the edges of fields and in the company of thistles.  They were succulent.  I could wrap words around a description of raspberry picking:  the gentle encompassing pressure that releases a perfectly ripe berry from its stem; the empty white cone… Continue reading Life, Life, and More Life

A Mosaic of Images on Joy and Prayer

I come from a tradition that is suspicious of written or scripted prayers, believing that spontaneity is a sign of sincerity and casting askance glances at those who must borrow the words of others in order to talk to God.  Then I became a mother and realized that not only were my own words in… Continue reading A Mosaic of Images on Joy and Prayer

Healing the Divided Self

David Letterman described life as a late-night TV host with this reflection: "Every night you're trying to prove your self-worth.  You want to be the absolute best, wittiest, smartest, most charming, best-smelling version of yourself.  If I can make people enjoy the experience and have a higher regard for me when I'm finished, it makes… Continue reading Healing the Divided Self