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Becoming Who Your Book Thinks You Are
When I was in grad school, I asked a fellow student to grab coffee. She was a few steps (and degrees) ahead of me, but we shared an alma mater and enough other similarities that I hoped maybe we’d become friends. At coffee, she told me about a book she was writing on happiness and…
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Leaning toward Grace
Too often, I’ve heard professing Christians say, “I just lean more grace than truth.” This statement is used to simultaneously claim Christ while committing the sins that crucified him. Such statements ignore the nature of grace, which does not leave us to stew in sin but saves us from sin. Grace is not separate from…
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Seven Deadly…Gyms?
Today, I chose the treadmill most people at the gym avoid. Situated right behind a load-bearing column, it’s the one treadmill that doesn’t afford a view of either the TVs, the mirrors, or other people. I anticipated insufferable boredom and resolved to run as quickly as possible so I could be done as quickly as…
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Pruned: A Parable
Originally posted on Ryanne Molinari: In a garden in the desert there was a tree. She was beautiful, lush and healthy and growing with a swiftness unknown to most desert plants. She had been planted in good soil and her roots drank deeply from a nearby stream. One day, the Gardener was walking along the…
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An Easter Rehearsal
Originally posted on Ryanne Molinari: I know my feet are prone to slip, unsure, So I play it again: Alleluia. And I know my hands may strike without measure, So I play it once more: Alleluia. But, worst, I know my heart is yet impure, So I pray it again: Alleluia, Amen. The organist and…
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Holy Saturday 2022
This is the space between all life and death, Between his final cry and second-first breath;The stillness between singing and applause,Between the reign of love and rule of laws. The space before the church door is unlocked,Before the stone is rolled, the grave is rocked. The stretching shadow’s still beneath the cross,The stretch of time…
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Good Friday 2022
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Things Your Garmin Can’t Measure
I love my Garmin watch. Just today, it recorded my fastest 10k yet. The main reason that I ran well today, though, was that I was not thinking about running well. Instead, I was considering the many things that my watch can’t track. Often, these are the very things that make running worthwhile—far beyond any…
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Every Careless Note
Whenever I receive new music, I review the lyrics of the selected songs. Recently, I had to turn down a gig because it would have required me to perform pieces from The Book of Mormon. I am not Mormon and have strong disagreements with much of the Latter Day Saints doctrine; however, many of my…
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Spirit Songs…or Lack Thereof
I have written extensively on the role of the Holy Spirit in musical worship, specifically in the following posts: Pedals and Pandemic Be Thou My Breath Four Reasons Your Church Should have a Choir The Fruit of the Spirit in Worship While the singing of Christians is innately spiritual, there seems to be a significant…
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To the Former Owner of Andersonville
Dear Jack, I recently obtained what was previously your copy of Andersonville. I just wanted to express how thankful I am that you (or your heir, perhaps) gave this book to The Book Cellar, where I added it to my stack of purchases. I have wanted to read Andersonville since high school when I first…
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Running without Weight
It’s finally warming up here in Iowa and, although I am glad to run outside once more, I am confronted by the fact that even outdoor running has its restrictions. I must hold my pepper spray if I am running alone. I must carry a water bottle if I plan to run any significant distance.…
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