Get Involved! A good friend of mine serves as minister of one of our churches in the Salt Lake City area. While he’s often at odds with the Mormon majority in the area, he finds himself occasionally envious of the ways in which their churches operate. “I wish I had the authority, like their bishops … Continue reading The Mind of the Minister

Happy New (Church) Year! White. A blank page or canvas. His favorites. So many possibilities~Sunday in the Park With George (Sondheim/Lapine) I love a new beginning — the combination of hope and uncertainty it brings, all the nervous and creative vibes. It feels like a roller coaster right before that first drop, when you hover … Continue reading The Mind of the Minister

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 … Continue reading The Mind of the Minister

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 … Continue reading So Many Possibilities…

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, … Continue reading The Mind of the Minister

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 … Continue reading The Mind of the Minister

(Reverse) Resolutions Happy New Year! It’s an arbitrary arrangement of time, but much like the winter solstice it arrives with a promise of renewal and return, an opportunity to try something new, or break patterns and habits we’d rather leave behind – what I like to call “the Great Cosmic Do-Over.” Historically, these intentions for … Continue reading The Mind of the Minister

STALKING THE WILD CHRISTMAS TREE Confession time: I don’t like autumn. There’s less daylight. The garden is naked. My mood seems to worsen as the air chills. By daylight savings time, just getting out of bed has become an Olympic event. I am not always a gold medalist. Some days, I don’t even pass the … Continue reading The Mind of the Minister

Saying Grace Growing up in a Catholic family, my parents did what they could to instill a sense of reverence and a prayer life in us. We had a bedtime prayer routine, and we said grace at any meal we sat down together for at home. When my brother and I were youngest, the grace … Continue reading The Mind of the Minister