Theological Essays, Devotionals, and Spiritual Naval-Gazing
“Lord, who throughout these forty days for us didst fast and pray, Teach us with thee to mourn our sins, and close by thee to stay.” -Claudia Frances Hernaman (1838-1898). From the 1982 Hymnal, #142 v. 1. I can’t even spell liturgiologist, nor am I a pastor, nor even much of a theologian. But especially … More Lent & Time
Let all who name Christ’s holy Name Give God all praise and glory; Let all who know his power proclaim Aloud the wondrous Story! Cast each false idol from its throne, The Lord is God, and he alone; To God all praise and glory. -Johann Jacob Schutz (1640-1690), trans. Frances Elizabeth Cox (1812-1897). From the … More Remembrance
–by Todd Murden I have a good friend that I met while working for a youth organization in Virginia. This friend of mine was a freshman in high school at the time. He was a quiet kid, a really small guy, ok, he was a runt. He didn’t really talk much to anyone else, and … More Why This Story Matters
One of the random cool things about being in school is the odd creative project I am asked to do. Last semester, in the sort of flagship baptism-by-fire Biblical Languages and Interpretation class, our final project was to read the book The Drama of Scripture by Michael W. Goheen and Craig G. Bartholomew, then creatively … More Seven Spiritual Squares
This has been one heck of a year. Whenever I stop to think about it, I just have to shake my head. Now that it’s almost over, and I have a fine collection of minutes put together in which to breathe and think, I’m almost afraid to reflect on everything that’s happened. I’ve knitted something … More The Same Yesterday, Today, and Forever
Thank you all (and by “all” I mean “my mom”) for participating in my gripefest a few days ago. I do honestly want to affirm all the stress and insanity so many of us are feeling as the holidays start to set in, but the morning after my last post, I went to chapel and … More Attitude Upgrade
Wednesday was my last day at the farm. Breezy Willow Farm, that is. It was the perfect day – cool and beautiful. Even feeling under the weather, it was so calming to put in a few hours of hard labor behind the carder. I will miss the beautiful location, the frenetic farm action, the smell … More Moving On
I have knit another baby blanket. It’s a very simple pattern that seems to reside in the group consciousness of knitters everywhere. You cast on a few and knit every row, increase every other row with a YO two stitches from each edge, then when half the yarn is gone, you decrease every other row … More This Blanket
I just survived two fillings without novocaine. I am immensely proud of myself, though it didn’t hurt any more than having someone standing on my toe for a few seconds. While lying there, feeling blood draining to my head, staring at two masked faces poking about in my mouth with a plethora of mysterious tools … More Surgery
Picture, if you will, a large stand-alone screened-in porch. Inside, the walls are lined up to waist-level with boxes of vegetables, and a couple of tables take up space. In the middle of the room, between the potatoes and the tomatoes and across from the peppers, sits me. In front of me, taking up most … More Normal People Doing Ordinary Things
Osborn Fiber Studio 