: Kinnell’s Saint Francis and the Sow: sometimes it is necessary / to reteach a thing its loveliness
: Zadie Smith: It’s meaningful to me, in the radically local sense Philip Larkin got at in “Church …
: Finished reading: Marce Catlett: The Force of a Story by Wendell Berry 📚
: People are amazing! A project to grow algae exclusively in the light of another star: Stellar …
: Arthur Brooks: We cannot expect ever to settle the argument over the existence of God. Just as we …
: RIP Kanchha Sherpa: The mountains were also changing. Around Base Camp there was once lush grass, …
: Indonesia: Over 100 ethnicities and languages populate Sulawesi. One group, the Toraja, places …
: The Farmer: Mr. Matsuo, who survived esophageal cancer and, at 99, a bout of Covid, spends his …
: Joe Sacco: When I’m feeling particularly ungenerous, which is often, I think our electoral regimes …
: The Economist: Since 2001 around 215,000 hectares of the country’s forest have been lost each year. …
: People are using AI to talk to God: In 2024, an evangelist group called Catholic Answers rushed to …
: Sophia Rosenfeld: Indeed, even in democracies, choice can sometimes seem to be not only an illusion …
: Karl Ove Knausgaard: Ivan’s tale is an indictment of Jesus Christ. He returns to earth, is thrown …
: From WH Auden’s “In Sickness and in Health”: Beloved, we are always in the wrong, …
: In September, scientists at Stanford reported they had used A.I. to design a virus for the first …
: The Sisters at Holy Wisdom are a little slice of heaven (and so is their prairie).
: But how to see the world from the outside when there is no longer an outside? - Karl Ove Knausgaard
: From Matthew Thorburn’s “Touch”: a touch halfway / between eye and ear, a touch I …
: When Did Everything Become So ‘Intentional’?: “I understand why people want that sense of …
: It is better to do your own duty badly than to perfectly do another’s —Bhagavad Gita
: Aurora Borealis by Frederic Edwin Church
: Sunlight and Shadow: The Newbury Marshes by Martin Johnson Heade
: ‘Leap of faith’: Why this Topeka church is auctioning off its 1911 Tiffany window
: Your brain on revenge looks a lot like your brain on drugs—and there’s only one twisted way to get …
: Noh: On a summer night, Ms. Kamiyama played the lead role in a ghost story belonging to Japan’s …
: The number of Americans who read for pleasure has fallen by 40%, according to a new study.
: London’s Peace Monk: Asked if he thought all of his chanting, and walking, had ultimately …
: THE ANNUNCIATION - AFTER CARLO CRIVELLI (2013-2014) by Raqib Shaw
: From The Red Hand Files: I discovered that the initial trauma of Arthur’s death was the coded cypher …
: Dr. Edwin Searcy was a genuine servant of God’s church. Humble, under the radar type, his …
: Finished reading: I Cheerfully Refuse by Leif Enger 📚
: Hungry ghost is a term in Buddhism and Chinese traditional religion, representing beings who are …
: Michal Leibowitz: But ultimately, we did what I think a lot of people in the past must have done: We …
: Can a Government Be Pacifist? It is not correct, then, to frame debates about pacifism as if they …
: Protecting Life Means Protecting Death: To protect the lives of the most marginalized and powerless, …
: Finished reading: The Big Relief by David Zahl 📚
: IS THIS THE WORST-EVER ERA OF AMERICAN POP CULTURE?: “The culture we have is so obsessed with …
: Currently listening: Jesus by Jon Guerra 🎶🎸
: Currently reading: Let Your Life Speak by Parker J. Palmer 📚
: Finished reading: Here by Lydia Sohn 📚
: Second Adam (2005-2009) by Bruce Herman (b. 1953)
: No escape: I think the general point here, beyond the specific question of how to get writing done, …
: Spring Ice (1915-16) by Tom Thomson (1877-1917)
: Currently reading: Perfection by Vincenzo Latronico 📚
: Finished reading: Orbital by Samantha Harvey 📚
: Finished reading: Faith, Hope and Carnage by Nick Cave 📚
: Finished reading: Somehow by Anne Lamott 📚
: Finished reading: Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar 📚
: Finished reading: Moonbound by Robin Sloan 📚
: How I Learned That the Problem in My Marriage Was Me: “You’re very cute, and I’m sort of …
: Meditations for Phone Addicts
: Christ’s Entry Into Brussels in 1889 (1888) by James Ensor (1860-1949)
: Prayer of Humble Access We do not presume to come to this your table, O merciful Lord, trusting in our own righteousness, …
: Mary Harrington: We are confusing contracts with covenants, and what that means for our …
: The Rev. Noble Earle McLaughlin, Universalist: Today I will delve a little deeper into local …
: Clare Sestanovich: Faith in unconditional love can seem like the bliss of ignorance—a comforting …
: “The Father-Song Talk I Never Expected to Have” by Garth Risk Hallberg
: Tara Isabella Burton: In an increasingly alienated, secular era, many people of faith—or, indeed, …
: Washington University in St Louis
: Currently listening: Rat Saw God by Wednesday 🎶🎸
: Currently reading: Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver 📚
: Finished reading: Faith, Hope and Carnage by Nick Cave 📚
: Currently reading: Foreverland by Heather Havrilesky 📚
: Currently listening: The Record by Boygenius 🎶
: A meditation on church decline . . . not all hope is lost Economist: “What has gone so wrong for America’s oldest churches? One answer is age. According …
: Tomorrow–April 23–is my ordination anniversary. It took place at the First Unitarian …
: The Economist: “Americans should find the economy’s performance reassuring. If history is a …
: The Onion for the Win: Secular Man Wishes He Had Better Way To Console Bereaved Friend Than ‘Total …
: Church divorce is expensive Lawyers be like: YE$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
: Kelefa Sanneh: “This last data point might be a sign that ‘Christian’ is starting …
: Oh hell yes, new Bill Watterson coming out later this year!
: As if travelers need another reason to avoid flying…more turbulence.
: Emma Camp: “Our culture needs to discard the restrictive form of identity politics that turns …
: Universalist Church (1926) by Edward Hopper (1882-1967)
: The past isn't past I took a trip to the Unitarian, Universalist, and Unitarian Universalist archives at Harvard …
: Wisconsin, you might have a drinking problem...in more ways than one. The Economist: “In Wisconsin, locals drink a sickly sweet version of an Old Fashioned made …
: Not all news about religion in America is bad CNN: For years, church leaders and commentators have warned that Christianity is dying in America. …
: Alleluia - Easter goodies! John Updike’s “Seven Stanzas at Easter” NYT interview with Union Theological …
: Currently listening: Bach, St Matthew Passion
: NYT “But a rod doesn’t wait for the lightning to strike. Less than one millisecond before the …
: Currently listening: Promises by Floating Points 🎶
: Currently reading: Artificial Condition by Martha Wells 📚
: Really enjoyed All Systems Red by Martha Wells 📚
: Religion, family, community involvement? No thanks. Money? Hell yeah New WSJ poll builds on data showing major declines in religious participation in America. It also …
: Wausau WI's First Universalist Church, circa 1950s(?) Perhaps Palm Sunday or Easter *“Unitarian” was added to the church’s name a couple …
: PLAY BALL! “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was Baseball.” …
: Rome, Dick, Music, Death and Resurrection I’m slowly reading -and loving- Mary Beard’s “SPQR” while also perusing a …
: Historic Universalism (ie, Universalist Christianity) A great resource on Universalist Christianity: universalistchristian.net. Aside from DC’s …
: A touch of romanticization imo, but “Amish Imagination” seem legit(ish): …
: www.mauritshuis.nl/ontdek-co…
: Two interesting articles, one on the life/death of Am cities the other on AI. Cities: …
: Sister Joyce Williams A beloved mentor in ministry has died. I got to know Sis Joyce when I worked as a chaplain at Saint …
: Currently reading: S.P.Q.R. by Mary Beard 📚
: Finished reading: The Supper of the Lamb by Robert Farrar Capon 📚
: Finished reading: 12 Things God Can’t Do by Nick Tucker 📚
: Finished reading: The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi 📚
: My coy viewing companion for the official start to F1’s 2023 season
: Currently reading: The Supper of the Lamb by Robert Farrar Capon 📚
: Finished reading: The Deep Places by Ross Douthat 📚
: Finished reading: Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson 📚
: O Pedrouzo to Santiago de Compostela A long awaited walk. When I got to the cathedral square I sat down to soak it in. It’s hard to …
: O Pedrouzo to Santiago de Compostela
: Arzúa to O Pedrouzo Shortish walk to O. Bright and sunny, warm bordering on hot. On the way out of A, I stopped to pray …
: Palas de Rei to Arzúa Warmed up quickly. Long walk under clear, sunny skies. To get into Melide, today’s midpoint, one has …
: Portomarín to Palas de Rei Shortly after leaving Portomarín, I detoured to the 4thC BC castro (photo, ruins), which was …
: Sarria to Portomarín On the way out of S I stopped by the ruins of Sarria castle Fortazela de Sarria (photo). To leave …
: Triacastela to Sarria A warm walk from the outset through the Galician countryside, with rolling hills home to farms and …
: O’Cebreiro to Triacastela Beautiful day for a walk down the mountain. A bit slippery, but manageable. On the way I passed …
: Villafranca del Bierzo to O’Cebreiro Chilly morning through the canyon out of V. Warmed almost instantly after. I’ve entered the Galician …
: Villafranca del Bierzo to O’Cebreiro
: Ponferrada to Villafranca del Bierzo On the way out of P this morning I detoured to see the 12thC Castillo de los Templarios (pic, castle …
: Ponferrada to Villafranca del Bierzo
: Rabanal del Camino to Ponferrada A picturesque hike up and down the mountain, through historic villages. Only the end, entering into …
: Rabanal del Camino to Ponferrada
: Astorga to Rabanal del Camino A tidy walk under grey skies started off at a bustling cafe in A where the owner insisted on feeding …
: Astorga to Rabanal del Camino
: Villar de Mazarife to Astorga Blessed with another sunny day. Longish walk, only saw three other pilgrims who were traveling …
: Villar de Mazarife to Astorga
: León to Villar de Mazarife Took an alt route today (to avoid the hectic sendas that run along highways) and was saved from …
: Mansilla de las Mulas to León The icy start to the day didn’t last long under a bright sun. The shortish walk to L was, to me, the …
: Mansilla de las Mulas to León
: Sahagún to Mansilla de las Mulas As I made my way out of S this crisp morning I stopped to listen to the monks chant the Hours. A …
: Sahagún to Mansilla de las Mulas
: Calzadilla de la Cueza to Sahagún Another shortish walk. Warmest day yet. Met a new pilgrim, had a nice chat. Ran into another pilgrim …
: Calzadilla de la Cueza to Sahagún
: Carrión de los Condes to Calazadilla de la Cueza Shortish walks today and tomorrow in preparation for a long one Sat. Today’s walk was the first that …
: Carrión de los Condes to Calzadilla de la Cueza
: Frómista to Carrión de los Condes Today’s route was the first on the dreaded sendas, which are pilgrim paths that run aside main …
: Frómista to Carrión de los Condes
: Castrojeriz to Frómista A steep climb up and down the plateau gives way to Spain’s Meseta, a landscape that is a total …
: PS the room in my hostel tonight is on the top floor of an old building in a tiny town. Aka, a good …
: Hornillos to Castrojeriz del Camino (plus Iglesia de San Martin) Solo walk that started cloudy/chilly turned to bright/pleasant by noon. Arrived in C to learn that …
: Hornillos to Castrojeriz del Camino
: Burgos to Hornillos del Camino Once I figured out how to get out of B, I enjoyed a pleasant and (relatively) short walk to H. On …
: Burgos to Hornillos del Camino
: San Juan de Ortega to Burgos 🥶 cold walk today! Walking into and out of big cities must be an acquired taste, one I’ve yet to …
: San Juan de Ortega to Burgos
: Belorado to San Juan de Ortega Snow in the mountains, but otherwise cold and clear on either sides below. No other pilgrims on the …
: Belorado to San Juan de Ortega
: Santo Domingo de la Calzada to Belorado I’ve now passed from the La Rioja region into Castilla y Leon. Today’s walk was another solitary …
: Santo Domingo de la Calzada to Belorado
: Najera to Santo Domingo de la Calzada A charming, solitary (I saw no one) walk along poorly marked paths. This one passed through an …
: Najera to Santo Domingo de la Calzada
: Logrono to Najera The cloudy skies offered a fitting backdrop for an introspective walk. Arriving in N, I toured the …
: Los Arcos to Logrono Brrrr 🥶 18+ miler today. Lots of fun. Too busy for a long post. Love y’all.
: Estella to Los Arcos Very tidy walk through rolling hills under pleasant skies. Most remote walk yet. Hardly any cities, …
: Puente le Reina to Estella Pleasant, cool walk under blue skies and sun—Wound through delightful cities. I’ve discovered my …
: Also, ham flavored chips…solid. Very solid.
: Pamplona to Puente la Reina It felt good to leave the loud city and resume quiet walking. It was a cool, sunny day. Perfect for …
: Zubiri to Pamplona 🐂🇪🇸 Z got heavy snows most of the night. The plows were out by morning, which gave me hope for walking. …
: Roncesvalles to Zubiri Awoke to find R covered in more snow. The traditional path was a no-go with 2ft+ (see photo). …
: SJPP-Roncesvalles Awoken by a rude rooster. The walk: rainy, lite then heavy, turning to snow in the mountains. Few …
: Winter in the French mountains, countryside is beautiful, rainy. Ppl are amazing. Few on the Camino …
: Paris to Biarritz (s crop ;), really rainy Biarritz (ocean crazy in bg), church in Bayonne (in & …
: Currently reading: The Deep Places by Ross Douthat 📚
: Rorty, politics, and Am pragmatism Truth has been on vacation long enough—it’s time to put it back to work.
: Currently reading: Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson 📚
: Finished reading: Sonorous Desert by Kim Haines-Eitzen 📚
: Currently reading: Sonorous Desert by Kim Haines-Eitzen 📚
: Finished reading: The Status Game: On Social Position and How We Use It by Will Storr 📚
: Finished reading: The Moviegoer by Walker Percy 📚
: Currently reading: The Moviegoer by Walker Percy 📚
: Finished reading: The Gospel of John by David F. Ford 📚
: Finished reading: The Fellowship Of The Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien 📚
: Finished reading: Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman 📚
: Currently reading: The Status Game: On Social Position and How We Use It by Will Storr 📚