Like and Love, Ramblings of a Theologian in Progress

I was given the opportunity to preach the homily this Sunday at St. John the Evangelist in Aberdeen. Below is the text of the sermon. Lectionary texts: Esther 7:1-6, 9-10; 9:20-22, James 5:13-20, and Mark 9:38-50 Holy is the familiar room And quiet moments in the afternoon And folding sheets like folding hands To pray as only laundry can Laundry seems to be anything but holy, yet American folk singer Carrie Newcomer invites us to reimagine the ordinary actions of our lives as part of the holiness of creation. The quiet moments, the laundry, even the sound and smell of eggs and salt in the frying pan, make up the tangible liturgy of the day. It is in the ordinary that she sees the outworking of grace. At times it’s difficult to see the beauty in the ordinary. It is even more difficult to expect the holy in the ordinary. Although Genesis narrates the story of creation to remind us of God’s breathe and word in all of creation, we often take that for granted and trample u...

It's been a busy summer and an even busier few months, which means I have not posted anything in what seems like forever. But term has started and some things need to be written and reflected on. Last night we rewatched the season finale of New Girl. It's a good episode and a very nice season finale, the kind that fills you with excitement for the next season and a twinge of sadness because you're saying goodbye to your fictional companions for several months. The part of the episode that really affected me was the closing seen. One of the characters is leaving for New York and in the scenes of his departure The Head and the The Heart's "Rivers and Roads" plays in the background. It's fast become one of my favorite songs since the initial viewing, but only upon yesterday's viewing did its full impact hit. A year from now we'll all be gone All our friends will move away And they're goin' to better places But our friends will be gone aw...