Category Archives: Uncategorized

Not being afraid

Posted on February 12, 2019 by

There is nothing quite like fear to inspire an ardent interest in what works. I am going to cite today two formulations that have helped me and that I have thought about. [1]  It seems odd to me, as I … Continue reading →

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The Blindness of Good Intentions

Posted on January 5, 2019 by

It is true that moral fervor can make you inattentive to other aspects of the problem. That is true of any kind of fervor. [1] There are so many examples that I see immediately that this consideration of ignorance, blindness, … Continue reading →

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On being God’s prophet

Posted on December 27, 2018 by

Here is a series of reflections on the “emptying out” that so often—necessarily?—precedes the giving of God’s word to a prophet. And maybe more than a prophet, as well. Here, for instance is how Amos was called (Amos 7:14,15) 14 … Continue reading →

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An impromptu Advent homily

Posted on December 10, 2018 by

It is the practice of the senior center where I live to have a Vespers service on Sunday afternoons. It’s a very sensible thing to do because some residents who have spent their whole lives “going to church” really can’t … Continue reading →

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New Year’s Resolutions

Posted on December 3, 2018 by

If you read this blog as regularly as I do—unlikely, I admit—you will have noticed that there is a time when I start writing about the Advent stories that Matthew and Luke provide for us.  It is Luke this year. … Continue reading →

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Mother Theresa is a Servant

Posted on July 16, 2018 by

And a hero.  And a saint.  You never hear anything bad about Mother Theresa. [1] And if you were waiting for me to say that I am going to stand up and start criticizing, you will wait for a long … Continue reading →

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Karl Barth and Ergophobia

Posted on May 7, 2018 by

I want to think today about ergophobia. [1] I mean by this term not the familiar “fear of work,” (illustrated by the man hiding under the desk, below) but more a “fear of works righteousness.” The mainstay of Christian theology … Continue reading →

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