My week this week has involved a couple of different hospital systems. Each time I find myself wandering aimlessly in the hospital halls, I inevitably run into hospital staff and doctors all of whom are extremely helpful. None of the people I encounter in the hospital doubt or question whether I am minister (although I …
I’ve recently gotten brave enough to ask some of my female baptist minister colleagues, who have been ministers much longer than I have, what the norm is for salaries and benefits and overall packages for female baptist ministers. Notice I said female baptist ministers, not baptist ministers because unfortunately the norms are not the same. …
I’m reading Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal and ran across this moment of brilliance from the character of Joshua or Christ in Christopher Moore’s narrative: No, action. Contemplation. Steadiness. Conservatism. A wall is the defense of a country that values inaction. But a wall imprisons the people of a country as much …
I felt bad rousing her sweet, sleepy self this early on Saturday, but we had a Missions Day. We had to pick up the breakfast and deliver it to both missions locations. I promised they would get a donut on the way, hoping that these wouldn’t be one of the things they remember later in …
I’ve been told that I (or rather we, since Willie and Waylon are on this journey with me) are only a quarter of a mile from the end of the trail in Columbia that we’ve been running for over a year. Every time we run this particular trail, we don’t reach the end. Those who …
I’m reading Ken Follett’s Fall of Giants: Book One of the Century Trilogy and in the midst of WWI there is also the story of the Women’s Suffrage movement in England. As I listen to their stories and read of stories around the world of women who don’t have access to education or the choice in whom …
The familiar anxiety crept into my stomach. It always happened when I ran into someone from my home church. I knew the conversation that was about to happen, I had engaged in it many times before: How are you? I’m great! How are you? Great, what in the world are you up to? Well, I’m …
For over a year, we have partnered with an apartment complex that helps adults with special needs who have transitioned out of government aid (they are over 21) to learn to live and work independently. The partnership started because the property manager was looking for a way for the residents to have Christmas. What we …
A week ago, I was privileged to attend Pam Durso’s ordination. As I sat there waiting in the silence for the service to begin, I realized this was the first ordination I had attended as an ordained minister, which brought my thoughts back to my ordination. Although I had read about the ordination process before I …
I want to go to church It’s a simple request and desire and one I received on Sunday morning last week. I wish I could say that for this young lady simply wanting to go to church meant she could go to church, but because she is an adult with special needs, she has to …
