Brokenness Transformed to Beauty

Yesterday I held a spirituality of gardening seminar at the Inhabit conference.  We had a chance to wander the Belltown P-Patch community garden and reflect on the amazing transformation that has taken place not just here but in many other once vacant lots not just here in Seattle but around the world.  As I have said [...]

Last market for Typewriters – Prisons

The Indian press reported this week that the inventory of typewriters at a company called Godrej & Boyce is down to 500 units. “We stopped production in 2009,” said the company’s general manager, “and we’re the last company in the world to manufacture office typewriters.” Not so fast, says New Jersey-based Swintec. “We have manufacturers [...]

Flexible home design

I was sent this interesting article a couple of days ago on flexible home design.  You can read the entire article on Treehugger It’s a fact of life that people’s needs change over time, and that’s as true in housing as any other industry. Aiming to create condominiums that are flexible enough to accommodate some [...]

Tornado Warnings – What Do We Do

We woke this morning to hear about the horrific tornadoes – 160 as of this morning –  that have hit across the South, the last in a terrible chain of natural disasters that have hit our world. Deadly tornadoes and thunderstorms tore through the South early today, pushing the death toll to at least 210 people [...]

Texas Fights Catastrophic Wildfires with Prayer & Denial of Global Warming

During this Easter season when we are wanting to be salt and light to the world spreading them message of Christ’s resurrection, it is good (and often sobering) for all of us to see how those outside the church view us.  I often struggle with Alternet because of its antiChristian bias but I also find [...]

Resurrection Life – Christ or the Easter Bunny?

Easter Sunday is usually my favourite church service of the year.  This year I found myself struggling.  What began with triumphant shouts of Christ is Risen Alleluiah, Alleluiah, Alleluiah and a beautiful flowering of the cross ended with an easter egg hunt. “It’s great to see the kids so enthusiastic.” someone commented.  But is it [...]

Jesus Has Risen a New Creation Has Begun

On Good Friday I posted a litany entitled When Good Friday and Earth Day Converge. I hated having to finish with the Cross rather than the resurrection so have adapted it here as an Easter season litany – and it does end with the resurrection Hallelujah Christ is risen, he is risen indeed God all of [...]

Good Friday Reflection

Today we walk with Christ in the dark shadow of the Cross Knowing we have weighed him down, our burdens crush his shoulders, His suffering is for us, and for us he willingly endured death, Praise God who did not abandon us. This morning I was struck again by the unexpected and inexplicable ways God [...]

Earth Day and Good Friday Converge – Let Us Pray

Tomorrow is Good Friday.  It is also Earth Day and each time I hear about another natural disaster that is impacting our world I sense how much we need that convergence.  Christ did not just die for us but all created life and for our planet too.  The imagery of resurrection is not of disembodied [...]

Easter is Here – Reflect, Renew and Celebrate

Over the last few years I have posted a number of prayers and reflections for Easter from Good Friday to Easter Sunday.  I thought that some of you would appreciate a summary of the most popular. A Good Friday Prayer for 2011 Holy Week Prayer A Good Friday Prayer Good Friday Prayer for 2010 Prayers [...]