hope – Prayerful Kitchen

Listening To What Our Bodies Have to Tell Us: A Lesson From My Shoulder

I have a bad shoulder. I never broke it or injured it in any way. I don’t have a torn rotator cuff or labrum, and never had to have surgery on it. You might say, in a way that this is all a self-inflicted injury. Since my freshman year in college, my right shoulder has…

All Will Be Well…And Hell.

During the COVID quarantine, my friend and I read some of Julian of Norwich’s work. My friend had heard the saying, “All shall be well,” but was unaware of its origins. I was more than happy to introduce her to St. Julian, which felt especially fitting during lockdown. Julian of Norwich’s most often quoted text…

For Rosemary

These are the notes for the sermon I preached today at the funeral of a most beloved friend. May we all aspire to embrace a mere fraction of the gusto for living that she had…and not be afraid of making the mistakes that are absolutely inevitable. Rosemary Dodd’s favorite story to tell about our family…

I am grief.

Every week, our yoga instructor encourages us to consider choosing a focus for our practice, suggesting such things as joy and calm. This morning one word came to mind and insisted on staying: grief. It is my honor to hear people’s experiences with grief as I visit groups and organizations to talk about my book,…

Wellness, Death, Blame, and Control

Yesterday I had a wonderful visit with two women I love and respect. We gathered to talk about forming a study group around my book, Phe, but ended up discussing all manner of things. One of them works as a physical therapist, who has done wonders for my own shoulder issues, and shared with us…

Nursing a Hatred Hangover

I know it’s been more than a minute since I posted anything. I haven’t even been writing other than newsletter articles and sermons…which I don’t actually write but which camp out in my head for a week to be brewed then poured out and forgotten, not a drop ever landing on a piece of paper….

Psalm 126: Lament and Hope

Psalm 126A Song of Ascents.When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion,we were like those who dream.Then our mouth was filled with laughter,and our tongue with shouts of joy;then it was said among the nations,‘The Lord has done great things for them.’The Lord has done great things for us,and we rejoiced.Restore our fortunes, O Lord,like…