Forming Community, Hospitality & Food – A Resource List

The popularity of my posts over the last couple of days on community, hospitality and food made me realize how many people are looking for resources to help them form community in this way. As well as that today is the celebration of the Celtic saint St Brigid of Kildaire who was known for her [...]

The Making of Memories – A Glimpse of God’s Kingdom Coming

Sunday is Penecost when we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit and the formation of the church.  It is always for me a special of day of remembering friends and family who provide a glimpse of what God’s wonderful kingdom family will look like. This year I feel I have had a special preview [...]

Seeing Through the Eyes of the Marginalized

A couple of weeks ago I was asked to participate in this synchroblog initiated by Kathy Escobar.  Her challenge to us was: Marginalization results in an individual’s exclusion from meaningful participation in society and it’s source is many. Economic circumstances, illness, disability, geographical location, gender, sexuality, race, religion are all dominant sources of individuals being [...]

Dancing Outside the Box – Entertaining Angels Unaware

I am sitting at our dining room table this morning thinking about how often we miss out on the lavishness of God’s grace and mercy in our lives because we are too busy to listen or too set in our ways to notice. I have been feeling a little overwhelmed this week by the weeding [...]

Corpus Mysticum: How the Eucharistic Image Informs My eating

This afternoon’s post was sent to me by Lisa Carlson co-Director of Aurora Care Continuum and a MDIV. Together with psychotherapist Maria-Jose. Lisa blogs at the River Beneath where they explore mental health through the perspective of poverty. I love the way Lisa grapples with her concerns about exclusion from our tables and relationship to the experience [...]

Building Community

Over the last couple of weeks I have found myself thinking a lot about what it means to build community, which is the theme of our annual Celtic retreat this year.  It also the theme of our next gathering here at the Mustard Seed House The Art of Being in Community How do we build [...]

Thanksgiving – Coming Home to the Banquet Feast of God

Today is one of the busiest travel days of the year here in the U.S. as families move across the country and sometimes even around the world to be together for Thanksgiving.  Tom & I are heading up to Camano Island this afternoon and will be giving ourselves an extra hour for the trip because [...]

Giving Thanks When We Are Struggling

American Thanksgiving Day is on Thursday and many of my friends are preparing to get together with friends and family to celebrate and give thanks.  Some are struggling because they feel they have  very little to give thanks for this year – they have lost jobs and homes or loved ones.  Many more are fearful [...]

A Thanksgiving Prayer

American Thanksgiving is less than a week away and we are all looking forward to what is fondly called Turkey Day.  It is my favourite American custom which I have embraced with great enthusiasm not just because I love good food and good fellowship but because I love the opportunity to think about what I [...]

Spiritual Discipline – Serving At the Pantry

Well yesterday afternoon all my good intentions went out the window.  I had expected to post another of the excellent articles still being submitted for the series on What is a Spiritual Discipline but two things happened to change all that.  First the temperature in Seattle climbed to an all time record of 103 F [...]