Sadly, no pictures yet–I’ll continue to work on that, but I make no promises. So, today was a great day! After sleeping a solid 10 hours, a beautiful run in Netanya, a wonderful breakfast buffet [to all you vegetarians out there, Israel is a GREAT place to come and eat! There was even a buffet…… Continue reading Day Two–Elijah and Haifa

Well, we made it to Israel safely, and even though I am exhausted [up now 24 hours + and counting], it was a wonderful day today. We had absolutely perfect weather–blue sky, breezy, warm enough to walk around without a coat, and we are right on the Mediterranean coast: our hotel is in Netanya, and…… Continue reading Traveling–in general and in particular

So, on the eve of leaving for my first sabbatical trip, my trip to Israel, I have a confession:  I am NOT eagerly anticipating seeing the places where Jesus walked/talked/prayed/preached, etc.  Oh, I’m looking forward to the experience of being there, of course—what I mean is that I am not eagerly anticipating that my spirituality…… Continue reading He Stood Right Here!!! [Or was it over here…?]

I don’t know whether it is fitting or not, but on this Christmas Eve, I find myself reading “The Sabbath,” by Abraham Joshua Heschel. It is an old book (first published in 1951), but it is new to me, and I am loving it. This is his opening premise: “In technical civilization, we expend time…… Continue reading The Gift of Time

If you had to pick one [and only one!] verse that would sum up the heart of the gospel message, there are lots of good contenders, I think:  Nothing in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord [Rom 8:38, paraphrase]; For God so loved…… Continue reading The Darkness does not overcome the Light

Soteriology–the doctrine of salvation–is my favorite topic in Christian theology. In many ways, it’s the center around which all other doctrines revolve, given that it gets at the heart of the gospel message of what Jesus has done for us; and I love the fact that the church endorses a wide variety of images and…… Continue reading Standing the Fire

In my Ethics course this coming Wednesday, we are talking about ethical issues involving sexuality, among other things, and one of the pieces I am bringing to class for discussion is a New York Times article from Nov. 19th, 2011, titled “Secret Dread at Penn State,” by Daniel Mendelsohn.  The opening sentence of the article…… Continue reading What if it had been a Girl?

I am not a patient person.  Everyone who knows me even a little knows this is true:  I do not wait well in lines, in traffic, or behind slow walkers.  Nor am I able to accomplish time-consuming tasks that require deliberation, careful attention and meticulous care:  I had to have a friend put on my…… Continue reading The Joy of Waiting