Creativity: Participation Over Perfection Somewhere in the middle of seminary, I decided to take a step out of my comfort zone and signed up for an art class. I needed to do something different with my brain. I was reading three to five books a week (and skillfully comprehending .5 books worth of all that info). ...

Know Thyself… photo by author – taken 4/1/23 This is what remains of the ancient temple at Delphi in Greece, former home of the famous oracle. Imagine the portico that once stood at the top of the steps. Legend has it that above the door was inscribed the following: γνῶθι σεαυτόν gnothi seauton Know Thyself This was essential, life-or-death advice for ...

The Mind of the Minister As the story goes, someone once asked Michaelangelo how he managed to create his massive statue of David. “I took a big block of granite,” he replied, “and chipped away anything that wasn’t David.” The story exists in many variations. Usually the artist remains nameless. Most of the time, it’s a statue ...

Paying Attention on Purpose My favorite definition of mindfulness comes from Jon Kabat-Zinn, professor emeritus of medicine and creator of the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Kabat-Zinn says that mindfulness is: “Mindfulness is awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally … ...

Moving Into Covenant I want to send a big “thank you” to all of you who took time out to participate in one of our Covenant Team’s small group listening circles. These groups were an opportunity for the team and I to get a snapshot of the congregation’s attitudes about and readiness for a covenanting process. ...