on set with the chosen: season 4 interviews

last may, i had the opportunity to visit the set of the chosen outside of dallas, texas, in production for season 4 at the time. alongside other journalists, we toured the set—impressive in its scope and detail—took a horse ride through the texas landscape, and interviewed producers, directors, and actors alike.

Nicodemus + Joseph of Arimathea: Models of grief

the following homily was offered to the community of st. luke’s episcopal church in seattle on Good Friday: “after these things,” john writes, summing up everything that has just happened before moving to Jesus’ burial. “After these things,” which is as swift of a transition as any you’ll find. at the end of John’s lengthy […]

on belonging, identity, and language: an interrogation

third grade. i remember spending—or wanting to spend—every recess talking. standing on the edge of the playground, while the other kids played on the playground, i was looking for conversation. for connection.

replaying the scene in my mind, i see her turn, eyes on her friends chasing one another on the playground. i see now that she just wanted to play. which is what she told me, eventually.

it took me a long time to realize i was longing most for connection. it always was about connection.

appreciating the art of divine surprise

visual art and poetry can put me in a place where i’m more likely to notice the everyday burning bushes and abounding annunciations.

i’m no less inclined than the next person to prayerfully ask God for my preferred future for myself and for my family, for my community and for our nation—indeed, for the aching wider world. but advent and christmastide invite me into something grander and, ultimately, more remarkable.

these seasons invite us to cultivate a posture of expectant waiting. yet our inherited history and tradition beckons a longing that is wholly receptive to the unexpected arrival of grace—where God’s presence is promised and declared precisely in places and voices we least expected.

living wisely: illuminating the contours of God’s kingdom

the call is not only to believe the Messiah’s coming back again, but to live in a way that illuminates the Messiah’s presence and greets the Messiah’s return.

visions of heaven: god’s curveball stories

what do you picture when you hear the word “heaven”? and what has shaped that picture for you?

in addition to experiences like this one, moments that take our breath away or invite our tears, it can be a particularly formative piece of art that informs our understanding of heaven.

what films, books, or pieces of music have informed your vision of heaven?

but we had hoped: a call to practice resurrection

in their hospitality to this stranger, in their grief and confusion, in their disappointment and sadness and anger, their eyes are opened… their eyes are opened to the presence of the resurrected Messiah in their midst, the Host of the table, at which we are all of us invited.

ash wednesday, Lent, & stop-Gap Justice

recently, i was participating in a half-day DEI training, and i found myself thinking of our lectionary text for today’s gathering—i had to be the only one. perhaps some of you have also participated in or even led similar trainings in your own workplaces.

what do you think God thinks of our diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts? in response to persistent and systemic injustices that continue to punish and exclude so many, is this the fast that our God chooses? i wondered.

advent hope: learning to wait in the dark

“Practicing wonder is a powerful tool against despair. It works nearly the same muscles as hope, in that you find yourself believing goodness and beauty even when the evidence gives you every reason to believe that goodness and mercy are void.”
–cole arthur riley, This Here Flesh

settled, not settling

i. there is never enough. it is all running out, constantly dripping out. try as you may, your hands cannot catch it, cannot stop the bleeding from this stramash. ii. easy. quiet. your hurry is not necessary here. you have been running so hard for so long. see, your breaths are short. your sleep is […]