Recently, during the same interview I mentioned the other day on American Public Radio, Jean Vanier spoke of power, of the handicapped giving our lives a sense of "equilibrium", about the importance of "being" rather than "doing", of the sacred nature of the body in the context of the handicapped. Jean, at 79 years old, … Continue reading Jean Vanier, Powerful Jesus, Pathetic Me

"The universe is God's sanctuary. Every work day is a day of the Lord, every supper a Lord's supper, every work the fulfillment of a divine task, every joy a joy in God. In all preliminary concerns, ultimate concern is present, consecrating them. Essentially the religious and the secular are not separated realms. Rather they … Continue reading Sacred and Secular – You Can Take This To Work

Jean Vanier is a most amazing man, who, indirectly has affected the lives of two of my close friends, as well as a far more expansive effort in the founding of the L'Arche Communities, world wide.My friends Mark and Tod, had a lunch with priest and writer Henri Nouwen about 20 years ago in Toronto; … Continue reading Jean Vanier, Living in Reality, My Struggle

About 12 days ago, we pulled the kids out of school and spent the day at Disneyland. Just the four of us, as a family.It was very fun to be a kid again, if only for a day.The last time we pulled the girls from school like this, one was in 5th grade, and the … Continue reading Holiday Fun Review

This is the twilight sky out our back door, looking west. It has been a full and happy Holiday Season for us. I would show more photos of our fun right now, but I am cheating off my neighbor's wireless (Apple) because my Apple wireless router cannot talk to my Windows PC correctly. I have … Continue reading Between the Holidays

I have just discovered a wonderful Christmas movie, and it only took me 49 years to find it.The Bishop's Wife, produced in 1947, is the story of a suave angel who comes to earth to save a woman and her Episcopal priest husband from spiritual doubt, and a lack of love for life itself.But this … Continue reading The Bishop's Wife – Ending Sermon

We Americans are a completely nutty bunch, and I have found evidence of this at a lovely seasonal web site known as Tacky Christmas Yards. You can always count on my directing you to the most meaningful and uplifting of Holiday web sites. Go ahead, have a look, I promise you will laugh and be … Continue reading Have Yourself a Tacky Little Christmas

And I was going to watch SportsCenter.......But something else happened. I watched a choir. Now mind you, I am not a huge choir aficionado. I live in Southern California, mind you. Flip flops and Hawaiian shirts are the typical attire in our area. Sacred music in our world is often played by dudes who have … Continue reading St. Olaf's Choir and This Christmastide

Please note my Buzz Lightyear score to the left. Then go here, and note the pathetically wimpy score of a fellow who has attended Princeton Seminary.Now I ask you, if stuck in a tense intergalactic battle, where the future of the Universe is on the line, who you gonna call?Thank you.And yes, that is my … Continue reading Pathetic Pastor vs Macho Lay Person

The caption for this video at Youtube reads:"Excerpt from "Carols from Prague": Performed by the Choir of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford at St. Jacob's Church in Prague on December 23, 1990. This is the first time in forty years that Christmas could be openly celebrated in Prague."This has great meaning to me, as nearly 25 … Continue reading For Unto Us A Child is Born