(Or: Why I Didn’t Stand Up at Church Last Sunday) “Anyone else?” the pastor asked, scanning the sanctuary. “Anyone else need healing?” The lights had been dimmed and there were people on their feet dotted throughout the room. I felt a rustling on my right as the man sitting next to me put his phone on the floor and stood up. A woman two rows in front of me looked around skittishly before rising to …
Blog Posts
It seems fitting to share a poem today, as I’ve been thinking about Mary Oliver so much the last couple of days. What a gift she gave to us. I read several of her poems this morning while I drank my coffee and decided I’d finish up this poem that I’ve been tinkering with for weeks. . Listen Listen for me Listen to the chatter of the ducksoutside the window and the whirof the dishwasher …
From the archives… I wrote this short reflection a year ago and I happened upon it today. I had forgotten the Mary Oliver poem and it felt like I was discovering it brand new. The sermon we heard on Sunday was mostly about prayer and this poem captures so perfectly how I think about prayer these days. Most weekday mornings, after dropping the boys off at school, I make some coffee and sit with it …
I like to call this the NBAs. Nance’s Book Awards. I had hoped to read 50 books in 2018 but alas, I only made it to 47. Sooo close. Ah well. There were 7-8 books that I only read half-way through before calling it quits so maybe if we pull all those parts together, it adds up to 3 more books? Officially, we’ll go with 47 but unofficially? Totally made it to 50ish. Ok, enough …
I was sick all last week and it gave me a lot of time to mope cry in my bed ponder the new year and some of the things I’ll like to embrace in the coming months. One of the things I’d like to work on this year came from the Alexander Shaia podcast that I linked up in the Christmas roundup so I decided to re-listen when I was near death crying in my …
A friend reminded me recently of this quote by Mother Teresa (thanks, Aaron!) and I’ve been thinking about it a lot this week. I’ve been trying to make space for more silence in my life. Mostly in the forms of meditation, prayer and general quietude but also in the small places. Like when I’m driving the half mile to pick up the boys from school because it’s raining really hard. Or I’m waiting in a …
This week I’ve got a few Christmas-ish things for you. The first is a podcast with Alexander Shaia & Rob Bell that touches on Advent and darkness. I listened to it over the weekend and I think I’m going to listen again. Shaia gave me a lot to think about and I’ve been mulling over much of it this week. The second is a song by Gungor featuring All Sons & Daughters. It’s been my …
As I type, Jason is boarding a plane to Denver. He’s hoping to get there in time to say goodbye to Grandpa Ken — the person who has been like a father to him since he was eight years old. Ken came into Jason’s life only a short time before Jason’s mom moved their family overseas but Ken stayed in contact over all those years and miles, in true Ken fashion — steady and stalwart …
You know how we like to envision the “life of a writer” as one of delightful poverty*, endless rejection, and willing sacrifice in the name of art? Yeah, about that. See, it all sounds so dreamy and bohemian and Moulin Rouge. Living in a flat in Paris or Manhattan and burning the midnight oil writing brilliant think-pieces on a corrupt government or penning the novel that will change the world. Doesn’t that just sound so …
For this week I’ve got just two things for the roundup. A podcast and a poem. I’ve been loosely following the news of the caravan that’s been working its way to our border — pretty apathetically, truth be told — and The Daily addressed the topic yesterday. It was insightful and gave me some new things to think about. Listen, I know that immigration is more complicated than just throwing open the door and saying “Come on …