At a recent gathering for faith leaders, the host greeted participants with a familiar opening. “We know we are living in challenging times.” The room nodded. Of course we are. Which prompts a thought: On what day, from today forward, will we ever say that these...
There is a moment early in Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire when Blanche DuBois, fragile and frightened, asks that a bare lightbulb be covered with a paper lantern. It is one of the theater's most economical images: a person so worn down by the...
“Have you dined with us before?” This has become the pro forma opener for most servers in American restaurants. Anything less than a firm “yes” will unfurl a litany of explanations, anecdotes, and carefully rehearsed stories about everything from the chef’s family history to, literally,...
In an article posted a couple of weeks ago, Matt Shumer, CEO of HyperWrite, warned that we are now in a phase with AI like we were in February 2020 with COVID-19, when many dismissed the threat … right before the world entered lockdown that...
As we waited to board a flight in Atlanta last month, one of the terminal’s door alarms went off, sending a shrill wail sailing through the air for minutes on end. As you will see in this video, no one on the concourse appeared to...
As far as historians know, three giants of the civil rights and social justice struggles of the twentieth century were never all in the same room at once. Abraham Joshua Heschel (1907-1972), Pauli Murray (1910-1985), and Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929-1968) shared guiding principles and...
Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised; God’s greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall extol your works to another and shall declare your mighty acts. They will recount the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works I will meditate. They will proclaim the...
A quick perusal of church newsletters and bulletins over the holidays left us wondering why so many announcements look like this menu board. If you arrive hungry or thirsty, good luck finding your way quickly to the items that meet your need. (By the way, “pancake...
We are not suggesting that we bring “Joy to the World” back for one more rousing encore after the weeks just past. But we are thinking about the absolute joy of being Christ’s Church in this moment. It isn’t easy to talk about joy, as the...