Month: June 2014

in remembrance of me – the spirituality of food

In a few days my summer vacation will begin.  A month in Prague with friends in an apartment in the arts district of the old city will do just the trick.  Kai will be cared for at home by a friend and his retriever sitting the house and will probably...

Bike Blessings at the Cathedral

  The blessing prayer for the Blessing of Bikes on "Bike To Work Day - Denver" for 50 visitors and 30 bikes Blessings and Breakfast on the Steps of the Cathedral - an adventure in evangelism Blessed are you, Lord God of the universe, for you created the cosmos and...

stop, in the name of love

  It was common in British gardens to set a small temple off in the distance from a manor house as a way to draw the eye past the flowers to a heavy, established place of order, human establishment and spiritual opportunity. This is part of our penchant for building...

pain and suffering and pie

  Firing the kiln this morning reminds me that the fires of life can form us into the people God is longing for us to become.  The kiln was lit last night and has spent the night climbing in temperature. This morning at 3:00 am it was time to begin...

the mission to China returns

  In just a few days our eight friends will come home from a pilgrimage throughout China.  They will be tired and probably inspired.  They will have stories which will infuse the congregation with a sense of mission.  They will have learned about themselves - things they may not have...

stones

This bas relief is of one of the men who seeks to stone the adulterous woman in the eighth chapter of John's gospel. Jesus encounters the men, ready to throw stones at a woman caught in a sin and Jesus reminds them that they too are guilty of sins.  It...

saints

We encase our saints in stone-carved sarcophagi under glass altars with romantic lighting and roses as a final garnish on the meal we think we want under glass.  We seem to look around for saints and kings and queens.  We long for great visions of saintliness, piety, power and holiness. ...

courage

The church grieves as it faces a new generation of people less inclined even to notice that it exists.  The church is a bit like a dowager countess - vaguely aware that at one time she was a great, rich and impressive figure but weighed down under the reality of...

curiosity

I love this grave stone.  The iron sculptures of angels hovering near its face-stone hold a light and at night the grave stone takes on a very different character.  This sculpture set of angels can go either way for me.  Sometimes it looks delightful and whimsical.  Other times the angels...

The Holy Spirit

  This is a photo taken in a plane on Pentecost.  The mist was billowing out from the vents underneath the luggage compartments above our heads and it was Pentecost.  I was in a foul mood for having to travel on a Sunday and I found the whimsical event soothing...