Category Archives: Messages

Needle Hill It is a cold winter evening in Seattle. A light rain is falling on my beanie, on my shoulders. Grey clouds fill the sky. Loud horns and unapologetic sirens envelope the soundscape. I can barely hear myself think. … Continue reading →

Tarot Rob lights a match. He reaches into a small yellow pouch and pulls out a gathering of dried lavender. He breaks the lavender, gently, and tears off a small piece. I am absorbed in the sound it makes, the … Continue reading →

What is your first instinct – your first act – when you walk into a dark room?  Mine is to find a light switch… to turn on a light!  I want to know where I am, to see where I’m … Continue reading →

1.  How Friends Will be Known In the thirteenth chapter of John’s Gospel, we witness an exceptionally tender and vulnerable moment in the Christian story. Jesus, cognizant that his death is at hand, that the Accuser is present, and that … Continue reading →

Come to Me, and Have Rest  28 “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in … Continue reading →

The Center isn’t Holding. Joan Didion is a beloved American writer. She first entered the American mind through the essays she wrote in 1960s. At the time, Didion was “on the ground,” doing investigative journalism with hippies in the Haight-Ashbury … Continue reading →

At social gatherings we are sometimes asked, “So what do you do?”  I find this question a bit awkward….maybe even slightly offensive.  The question really means…”What is your current occupation or job.”  Well what if one doesn’t have a job, … Continue reading →

Mark Hawthorn His name was Matthew Hawthorn. He was born on September 26, 1938 in Washington, D.C. He was raised in Connecticut—a state that, you may know, gets its name from a Native American word which means “place of long … Continue reading →

I’d  like to try a little exercise.  I’m going to read off some derogatory names for some groups of people and ask you to stick up a hand if you’ve heard these terms before and know what group they are … Continue reading →

Moving Fast     As I get a bit older, I am developing a greater appreciation for life’s simple things. Like, for example, the simple beauty of sitting down. Of sitting down, that is, and being quiet. No TV on, no … Continue reading →