On Monday I began to pre-record the worship service for a neighboring church. I set up my camera indoors with daylight not too bright, not too shadowy. I cleared clutter so my background did not distract from the prayers. I adjusted the height, angle and frame of the camera lens. I plugged in my microphone […]
Mighty and merciful God, our hearts are full of gratitude. We are grateful for good health and for recovery from illness. We are grateful to be safe in this moment, right here and right now. We are grateful for food to eat today. Some of us are grateful for work to do and others are […]
“What will you do if there is a fire in your house?” Miss Brady asked her class of third graders. We learned that hiding under the bed was the wrong answer. She taught us all about fire safety and assigned the homework of drawing a map of our house with a family plan about how […]
St. Anne’s church was packed with people on Wednesday evening. The funeral home invited them; all the families who had suffered a death this year. There was a priest and an AME Zion church pastor and me, all leading worship together. I told the story about Emma’s gift. There is a part of the story […]
The funeral home was packed with mourners and the funeral service was well underway. There were a lot of words, a lot of tears, just enough scripture. But I wondered how long it would be before the 5 year-old sitting in the second row became restless and fidgety. Just then, as it turned out, the previously […]
A chill in the air nips my nose, the leaves shimmer yellow, gold and crimson against a grey sky, a faint whiff of woodsmoke hovers near. Autumn, my favorite season, always surprises me with its colorful trees, cool nights, and shortening days. Since childhood, I have associated autumn with new beginnings: new school shoes, a […]
It was a long flight and I dozed. The crackling of an announcement woke me with a start. “If any doctor is on board, please come forward.” We were over the Atlantic ocean, returning from vacation. Passengers wore comfy stretchy pants while watching tiny tv screens on the reclined seat backs of their neighbors. No […]
Earlier this spring, while running I passed through a wooded area and I remembered mountain laurel. When we lived in Cherry Valley the woods behind the house were full of mountain laurel. Every morning, I walked Gert the dog and marveled at the white and pink blossoms. How long had it been since I had […]
Mister Rogers invited a young boy to play piano. Mr. Rogers sat beside the piano, fully present to the child and to the music. He watched the child’s face and never once looked at his hands, his fingers dashing over the keys, his technique of lifting his wrists just so. He was not interested in […]
The cancer had lingered so long. We had prayed for healing, but the cancer recurred. We prayed for healing. Hospice was called in. We prayed for God to be present and for healing. Family members said these words: I love you and Good-bye. We prayed for healing. And light filled the room, the struggling breath […]