Make A Donation
Click Here >
August 15, 2023
“First Breakfast, then School, then Scooby Doo.” I tick off each item on my finger as I name them to my son, Westley. It had taken me a minute to shrink the schedule into just three items and to end them with the desired one, but after what seemed like an eternity—and was really about… Read more »
August 9, 2023
Youth Sunday 2023, many of us at Maxwell Street Presbyterian Church in Lexington, Kentucky learned we had a rock band in our midst. While our services usually end with a grand organ postlude, this Sunday the organ led into the swirling electric guitar chimes of the U2 classic “Where the Streets Have No Name,” beautifully… Read more »
August 4, 2023
Talking with Children About Death My phone dinged. A note from my daughter’s kindergartner teacher waited in the class app. The note began friendly enough: “She’s doing well today … but…” And you know there’s always a but … “A few times this afternoon, she said she was sad because her aunt died when she… Read more »
August 3, 2023
Worship tells a story that can cause discomfort In contemplating pastoral identity in a secular age, I found myself thinking about liturgy—the public ritual act of worship, one of the main parts of my role as a congregational pastor. What does liturgy mean in this frame—where so few people feel God’s presence in their lives?… Read more »
June 30, 2023
Several weeks ago, I shared some thoughts about the teen mental health crisis and pointed to some theories about what’s causing it. (Reminder: I believe it’s a little of everything.) Since I wrote it, even more articles have come my way, many of them pointing to social media as a root cause, though as I said before,… Read more »
June 23, 2023
Every Wednesday at noon throughout the Idaho state legislative session, you can find me on the steps of the Capitol building, standing still and praying silently. The silence of my thoughts is interrupted only by the occasional sniffle, as my nose angrily protests the bitter cold I’ve subjected it to. I don’t stand alone, but… Read more »
June 20, 2023
(Or, why are our teens so depressed these days?) Recently, I’ve seen a ton of writing about the mental health crisis among teenagers. I’m spotting the articles myself “in the wild,” but people are also sending them to me directly… I guess teen mental health is my beat now? Happy to offer some thoughts,… Read more »
June 12, 2023
“What would you do if you weren’t afraid?” It’s a question posed recently by the host of one of my favorite podcasts, while pondering the choices we make during life’s most challenging moments. I remember thinking with a tinge of fear (ironic, no?) that I probably already knew the answer to the question. After all,… Read more »
May 30, 2023
Here’s a Prayer for all those who collapse at the end Who are just holding it together Somehow Til the end of the Day And then lose it When they get in the door Or are asked to do a thing Or have to leave their comfort zone/thing/activity Here are for those for whom the… Read more »
May 25, 2023
Corky Lee was an ABC, American born Chinese, a photographer and activist, for whom art and activism was one and the same, whose camera’s eyes gave witness to the nuanced and diverse Asian Americans, who said of himself “I’m ABC from NYC … wielding a camera to slay injustices against AAPs.” Corky grew up on the streets of… Read more »
