A history of confirmation In the early church, adult converts entered the catechumenate, a sometimes-three-year period of instruction. The culmination of this..
I spent January 1995 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, with Uncle Jim, who was dying of AIDS. He was my mother’s younger..
I have a reputation among a certain crowd of students who have nicknamed me the “Condom Chaplain.” This name comes from the..
On Sundays, we always have a section of the worship entitled “Joys and Concerns and Prayers of the People.” It’s a time..
During my first day in the physical office of the Presbyterian Outlook in Richmond, Virginia, George Whipple assured me of his support...
As a hospice chaplain, I provide emotional and spiritual support to patients and loved ones as they approach an end-of-life event. We..
I grew up around campfires, whether I was tent camping with my family or staying at sleep-away camp. I love roasting marshmallows;..
It was September 2020. I had just ended a five-year stretch as a solo pastor, having ushered my small rural congregation through..
This was what I was trained for in seminary and clinical pastoral education, but I was young and inexperienced and my life..
My kids love the Disney movie “Moana.” Here’s my summary of the movie: Mother goddess Te Fiti’s heart is stolen causing the..
Concerned with reports of increasing numbers of pastors experiencing burnout and depression due to exhaustion during the COVID-19 pandemic, McCormick Theological Seminary..
Growing up as an only child on a remote Tennessee cattle farm, my summers were spent largely within the confines of my..
The medieval mystic, Meister Eckhart, claimed, “God laughs and plays in good deeds.” Laughter and play call strong and specific images to..
Growing up at the Jersey Shore, my favorite arcade game on the boardwalk was skee ball. Even as an adult I can’t..
My introduction to play happened during a season of exhaustion. As the solo pastor of one church and session moderator of five..
During a week of vacation this summer, I took my kids to a creek near their grandparent’s house. While my wife was..
Earlier this summer I was fortunate to join friends on a small expedition ship to explore southeast Alaska’s coastal wilderness. The trip..
Guest commentary by Christian T. Iosso Don Shriver was on my committee when I received my Ph.D. in ethics from Union Seminary..
A couple of summers ago, during what seemed to be an endless summer (joke was on me it seemed; 2020 was just..
Maddie loves the water. My family met Maddie, a husky mix, on a recent camping trip to Northern Wisconsin. We were swimming..
I have strummed a guitar on and off for the better part of 20 years. As an undergraduate, I would accompany my..
From March until December of 2020 – from Easter until Christmas – not a week went by without the death of someone..
His name is Dave, and most summer mornings, from dawn until 9 a.m., you can find him in shorts and black knee-high..
This summer, I read and preached on the stories of King David in 1 and 2 Samuel. Of course, we covered the..
The medieval mystic, Meister Eckhart, claimed, “God laughs and plays in good deeds.” Laughter and play call strong and specific images to..
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