Failing Church Syndrome

In his book Kitchen Confidential, the late Anthony Bourdain describes a phenomenon that he calls “Failing Restaurant Syndrome:” I began to see, for the first time, what I would later recognize as Failing Restaurant Syndrome, an affliction that causes owners to flail about looking for a quick fix, a masterstroke that will “turn things around”,Continue reading “Failing Church Syndrome”

A Prayer in the Garden

based on John 20:1-18 Faithful God, we confess we don’t know what’s happened. We’ve heard the news from women and angels alike, but there’s so much we still don’t understand. We’re wondering how it’s possible, and about what it means. Our sense of the world has been turned upside down, and it may be aContinue reading “A Prayer in the Garden”

The Less It Feels Like Lent, the More It Feels Like Lent

When one observes certain annual traditions long enough, you begin to develop layers to your expectations for them. If you’re used to an annual vacation to the same location every year, for instance, there is the macro level of anticipation for the trip overall. The dates are circled on your calendar, you make lists ofContinue reading “The Less It Feels Like Lent, the More It Feels Like Lent”