Yesterday, January 21, was the big anniversary, 500 years. On that day in 1525, a small group gathered in a home in Zurich, Switzerland.  The City Council had just passed an ordinance forbidding further deliberation on baptism, requiring dissidents to have their children baptized and join the official Reformed church. …

I have come to appreciate annual cycles.  The church calendar and school calendar are firmly lodged into my life rhythms.  Both of these offer periods of engagement and rest, holy days and extended stretches of ordinary time.      And there is the calendar year.  Our (mostly) annual trip to Kansas…

Now that we have the busyness of the holiday season behind us but still plenty of Winter ahead of us, perhaps it is finally a good time to lean into the gift that these months can offer us: chances to slow down, to get cozy, and to reflect on where…

Zechariah, father of John the Baptist, is silenced in the opening scene of Luke chapter 1.  In the final scene, he speaks.  Luke calls it a prophecy.  It includes these words: “…that we, being rescued from the hands of our enemies, might serve God without fear, in holiness and righteousness…”…

Last night was cold.  It will be cold again tonight.  Our church basement is warm.   Last night about 20 unhoused folks gathered in our church basement.  They ate donated Donatos pizza before spreading out bedrolls on the floors of Rooms 1 and 2.  Several others parked their cars in our…