The Difference

The Difference

Have you noticed how it’s not the big things that trip us up, but the little things such as waiting in line or encountering other unwelcomed time-consuming events? The other day I hurriedly starting transferring a load of sweats and dark socks from the washer to the dryer only to discover – you guessed it – the clothes were speckled with remnants of tissues I had forgotten to remove from my pocket.

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Getting There

Getting There

Did you know that in the late 19th century for a few coins you could ride a trolley all the way from Oakland down East 14th Street (now Mission Blvd.) to rural Hayward? Or take a horse drawn railcar from the Patterson Ranch (now Ardenwood) to Centerville? Or take a train ride to Niles Canyon for a pleasant picnic along Alameda Creek and listen to the sounds of John Philip Souza’s band?

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The Harvest Has Passed: In the Aftermath of the Mass Shooting in Las Vegas

The Harvest Has Passed: In the Aftermath of the Mass Shooting in Las Vegas

The harvest has passed the summer is ended. And we are not saved. -Jeremiah's Lament.

Beloved Community,

Like you, I awakened to the shocking news that the largest mass shooting in American history occurred last night at a concert in Las Vegas. As the chaos unfolds around this attack on social media, in the news, and as the numbers of injured and deceased climb- I want to invite you in my role as Spiritual Navigator of our journey to remember what we have been reflecting on as we journey together.

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Apocalypse Now

Apocalypse Now

"It is here, in that darkness, that the apocalypse washes over us. It is here that we are decentered.  It is here that the (sometimes barely) hidden will be revealed and we will become aware of what others have long experienced and known.  It is here that the loving voice of our Still-Speaking God unveils our Shadow and invites us to a deepening spiritual journey of life, death, and resurrection."

 

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"By Their Fruit You Will Recognize Them": Reflections on Last Sunday's Counterprotest in Berkeley

"By Their Fruit You Will Recognize Them": Reflections on Last Sunday's Counterprotest in Berkeley

“By their fruit you will recognize them.” -Jesus in Matthew 7:16

Last Sunday, I participated in the interfaith counter-protest of the planned white supremacy rally in Berkeley. After what had unfolded in Charlottesville, VA a few days before there was a lot of nervousness about this counter-protest. And yet the need for our presence as clergy, as peaceful marchers, and as people of faith was very clear. As our Conference Minister, Diane Weible wrote to us recently, “Silence is not an option” in the face of this evil. As I shared with you last week in my sermon, I deeply agree.

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Who Knows?

Who Knows?

Buttes of Utah’s Zion National Park appeared as I turned the calendar to August.  Such majesty in the rugged cliffs, vibrancy in the blue sky, and hushed quietness in the stream wending its way down the page.    How old are those cliffs?  In contrast, how new are the leafy trees dotting the slopes near the stream? How frequently is this particular spot observed by human eyes?  Who knows exactly?  And yet, there they are in all their grandeur and quiet beauty beckoning, “Come, rest a while here.”

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Musings

Musings

We have recently returned from a three-day vacation to Lassen Volcanic National Park in northern California. The first day we stopped at the Sundial Bridge in Redding and saw the mighty Sacramento River.  It was still carrying a lot of water and flowing rapidly, and we tried to imagine what it was like before it got dammed up at Lake Shasta. How much more power it must have had! How it must have periodically overflowed onto its floodplain, creating the fertile soil in the valley. 

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