Monday, March 19th. The 27th day of Lent. Tonight I met Chris Chappell for a beer and conversation. When Chris’ family joined Covenant Baptist Church in 1990 he was a sophomore in high school. One of his sisters was an 8th grader. The other a 5th grader. Now Chris is in his 30s. He has…
Sunday, March 18th. The fourth Sunday of Lent. This morning Jeanene and I were attending the beginners’ class at Saint Luke’s. It’s a simple course on the Episcopal Church that is taught periodically for people who are new to Saint Lukes and possibly considering joining. It’s very strange being a novice in church. In my…
Saturday, March 17th. The 25th day of Lent. I never gave my mind to the Church. Never. Even when I was a small boy and every adult that meant something to me was some sort of authority figure in the church, when someone would read a Bible story and it was clear that everyone believed…
Friday, March 16th. The 24th day of Lent. What an amazing thing this Lenten writing discipline has been for me. The story so far: Depressed and desperate, I launch my anonymous Salon blog in December of 2002. I wasn’t sure why I did it. I had a sense that in this medium I could tell…
Thursday, March 15th. The 23rd day of Lent. Have you noticed that whatever you say about the world has a tendency to come true in your life and in the lives of the people you know? Do not take lightly this most sacred of human burdens. Gordon
Wednesday, March 14th. The 22nd day of Lent. I suppose there are numerous ways this could play itself out, but the point is that you and I cannot know what realities exist beyond our feeble powers of observation. Voyager has been traveling for 35 years and is just now leaving our solar system. And it’s…
Tuesday, March 13th. The 21st day of Lent. A few weeks ago I slipped into a worship service on a weeknight at a church that is not one I frequent. I thought it was going to be a Taize service with the expected chant songs and a more contemplative feel. As it turned out, the…
Monday, March 12th. The 20th day of Lent. Station Thirteen: Jesus dies on the cross. Luke 23:44-46 It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, while the sun’s light failed; and the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, crying with a loud…
Sunday, March 11th. The third Sunday of Lent. Station Nine: Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem. Luke 23:27-31 A great number of the people followed him, and among them were women who were beating their breasts and wailing for him. But Jesus turned to them and said, ‘Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me,…
Saturday, March 10th. The 18th day of Lent. I have been asked to write three prayers for the 2012 Covenant stations of the cross, which will be displayed and open to the public at Covenant Baptist Church during Holy Week. I will use my writing time the next three nights for this honored task. I…