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The Christmas Card

At Christmas we return, however partially, to an analog existence. Our minds wander to the days of yesteryear when life was simpler, distractions fewer, and the smiles of extended family were directed at us when we arrived at those annual pilgrimage sites. We forego our propensity to be captivated by the digital morass of ourContinue reading “The Christmas Card”

Echoes from the Holler: Family Memory

This past week has been a year in the making. On July 23, 2022, my extended family would meet again for the first time since my late fathers passing in February of 2017. Like many large families, it seems funerals are about the only thing that still bring folks together. Even weddings aren’t quite asContinue reading “Echoes from the Holler: Family Memory”

Our Motherly Father: God, Mom, and Prayer

It was the Spring of 2000. There I was, a freshman at Trevecca Nazarene University, sitting in the class most feared by fledgling religion majors: Biblical Exegesis. Even the name makes a person want to duck for cover. It sounds like the sort of class you walk into wearing a hazmat suit and gloves beforeContinue reading “Our Motherly Father: God, Mom, and Prayer”

The Rail

Erect, weathered, silently stalwart, lies the “rail” : the boundary between apse and chancel. It is the wooden boundary between heaven and earth, the pinnacle that acts as the liminal furniture connecting the two. Many of us miss it. We enter the church after making our way through the parking lot or courtyard, greet theContinue reading “The Rail”

Ballad of a Dead Man

“Why are you here?” she asked me, as we sat in a doctoral seminar, Summer 2016. Why am I here? That is what she asked me. Right there in front of God and everyone. And what was I to say? I was not entirely sure why I was there either. Of course, there is anContinue reading “Ballad of a Dead Man”

Dad, Dreams, and Death: An Anniversary Reflection

My dead father used to come to me in my dreams. I had never been visited by the dead before, so naturally these visits caught me off guard. I desperately anticipated them, yet I recoiled all the same. “Hello, hate to see you, but I’m glad you’re here.” Prior to my own living deadContinue reading “Dad, Dreams, and Death: An Anniversary Reflection”

In Memoriam: A Tribute To Bo Bandy

I came around the door, re-entering my office to gather a few things before departing for the day, and then she looked up at me, eyes confused, hands shaking, “Bo Bandy passed away.” She sat down, tears rolling down her cheeks, mascara smudging. Death had re-entered the building. My mom just dropped a bombshell. AContinue reading “In Memoriam: A Tribute To Bo Bandy”

We Become What We Pray: Final Thoughts On Confession

In this concluding post discussing gleanings through the practice of daily confession, I will note four areas of focus: We become what we pray Prayer sanctifies us The epiphany of grace that happens within confession Confession creates awareness that leads to proper witness. Firstly, the practice of daily Confession gives fresh meaning to the ancientContinue reading “We Become What We Pray: Final Thoughts On Confession”

The Daily Confession of Sin, Part 2: Being Mindful

When I mention engaging in a Daily Confession of Sin, I do not mean repeating daily the popularized version of the “sinners prayer,” in which one confesses they are a sinner before God in need of forgiveness, and then “accepts Jesus into their heart.” I am assuming that Daily Confession of Sin precludes that oneContinue reading “The Daily Confession of Sin, Part 2: Being Mindful”

The Daily Confession of Sin, Part I: A very Brief Introduction

It may be news to some that not all Christian traditions embrace a daily routine of confessing sin. Though Forgiveness is part and parcel of Christian teachings, for many, regular prayers of repentance would imply that one is indeed not Christian, or to use an old school nomenclature, that one has “back slid” or “fallenContinue reading “The Daily Confession of Sin, Part I: A very Brief Introduction”