It’s Easter Monday, and I’m tired!  I’m not working in a congregation, so I shouldn’t complain, but in the last four days, I attended two Maundy Thursday services, two Good Friday services, one Easter Vigil and one Easter morning service.  They all were fabulous, and it was a wonderful weekend, but it all has left…… Continue reading Wise Words from Gloria Steinem

Something extraordinary is happening on Friday:  this year, the date of Good Friday is March 25th, which also is the traditional date of the annunciation and thus the date of Jesus’ conception.  [I like to think it occurred at the moment of Mary’s “yes” to God.]  I’m unduly excited about this, because I am a…… Continue reading March 25, 2016: The Annunciation and Good Friday

A couple weeks ago, my Monday night book group met to discuss “The Nightingale,” by Kristin Hannah. [It’s a great book, and I highly recommend it.]  Toward the end of the conversation, I raised a question about a significant plot point that concerns a key decision made by one of the main characters–and, here I…… Continue reading The Nightingale, "Sorites" and the Truth

I promised myself that I would not write another blog post on Donald Trump, mostly because he drives me crazy.  I think he is not only idiotic, but very dangerous, and I get discouraged about the state of this country when I see how many people are interested in him and voting for him. The…… Continue reading Trump Telling Lies [again]

Like all other academics I know, I have a shelf full of “to-read” theology books—some of which have been there an embarrassingly long time.  I get to them when I can—in between other pressing books that relate directly to current courses I am teaching, or current writing projects.  It’s an aspirational shelf to which I…… Continue reading Asking the Beasts

  As I sit down to write this blog post, the news is just breaking about Barbie’s new curves—have you seen the story?  If you missed it, Mattel has designed a new Barbie—well, several new Barbies, actually:  three new body types [petite, tall, and curvy] with 30 hair colors, 22 eye colors and seven skin tones. …… Continue reading Divine Thoughts on Barbie: Blue Hair and Curves

Today is the beginning of a new semester, which means I am once again thinking of that brilliant essay by Simone Weil [pictured above], “Reflections on the Right Use of School Studies with a View to the Love of God.”  [I know I have blogged about this before, but I can’t resist talking about it…… Continue reading Studies with a View to the Love of God

This is a plug for a great exhibit currently at the National Geographic Musuem in Washington DC–“PhotoArk,” a collection of photographs by Joel Sartore.  He is trying to document all the world’s threatened species–5,000 so far & counting.  He visits zoos & rescue centers to take pictures of the animals against a stark black or…… Continue reading Lessons from the PhotoArk

When I got home for lunch after chapel today, a lovely Christmas card was waiting for me, with a quote from Rainer Maria Rilke:  “And now let us welcome the new year, full of things that have never been.”It seemed particularly appropriate, given what had just happened a few hours earlier.  At the end of…… Continue reading Doing a New Thing!

This is my harp–isn’t it lovely?  I play the harp–more or less.  I’ve been playing for a few years now, and I’m still pretty bad:  I don’t practice as much as I should, and I don’t have much natural ability.  Mark Oldenburg is responsible for my foray into the music world:  when I was turning…… Continue reading Lessons from a Mediocre Harp-player