I’m at the Haden Institute’s summer dream conference. Walking the lake trail, I found this fern in the process of unfurling. It inspired...

There is this part of me That, if it were not For the singing of the Wood Thrush, Would feel so hopeless. There is this part of me That,...

When life has slowed, And days run into days run into days I count my time in dog walks and cups of coffee. I watch the plants, Reaching...

I remember you, Grandpa Tom. Resilience forged in World Wars and dust bowls. Kindness shaped by love and generosity. Faith cultivated in...

Days run together And soon I don’t know ... Is it Wednesday or Saturday? We step through this disorienting, timelessness of social...

For those who waitIn despair, In grief,In sorrow. You are comfort. You are strength. For those who wait In anxiety, In isolation, In...

I have the honor to serve as worship leader for our Upper Room Two-Year Academy for Spiritual Formation retreat in Alabama. I plan and...

This morning I saw wildflowers blooming, Rooted in the cleft of a rock. Petals waved like Delicate violet water spouts. How can it be?...

I hear the sound of breaking hearts. Tender, young hearts, open and hopeful, Facing betrayal from the church which formed them. Scarred,...

Loving God, Guard our hearts. Pray this prayer for those whose hearts are open, innocent, hopeful, vulnerable. As you inhale, pray...

By the rivers of Babylon -- there we sat down and there we wept when we remembered Zion. On the willows there we hung up our harps. For...

We watch the fear, the pain, the struggle And we cannot take away any of it. All we can do, sometimes, is hold the space. And that is...

When you wake up in a fog, The clouds hiding the sun, Hiding the hope and the confidence You used to have. When the place you are...

By the rivers of Babylon— there we sat down and there we wept when we remembered Zion. On the willows there we hung up our harps. For...

Some days it seems too hard to Turn on the news, Read the texts, Answer the phone. What news, What pain, What disaster Awaits us today?...

In these days when political correctness is not politically correct ... When pundits talk of two sides in their own bubbles ... When we...

Hate, emboldened, Steps out of a closet, Packs a suitcase, And drives to Virginia. Hate, emboldened, Does not feel the need To cover up...

How can we Withstand The chaos The unravelling of Sanity Values Order Some days it feels that We are so broken We can never be healed And...

Yesterday in The Upper Room Chapel we held a service of celebration for Alive Now, the beloved publication which began in 1971 and ceased...

Grief sneaks up on me, cunningly disguising itself so I can't see it coming. Or maybe I see through its costumes and just don't want to...