01. WELCOME
Two Times Too Many: Another Letter to the Town I Love
Dear Killingly, I last wrote to you a few months ago when we were deep into dark winter months. It was just after New Year's Day, and, if you recall, it seemed like we just couldn't catch a break. There was one student death. Then another. Then a teacher and another...
The Night I was Called a Fag in My Own Church
Here is this morning's sermon after being verbally accosted in Westfield's 1923 Ladies' Parlor by a member of another church. The scripture was John 3:1-17. Do you believe people can change? Perennial parental advice says no. Can’t you hear your mama saying, “Oh...
A Little Love For My Little Town
Dear Killingly, I moved to your town in October of 2012. I'm a born and bred Southerner who loves all things Southern--things like grits and coca-cola and air conditioning. Late in September of that year, I packed up my life and my cat and drove north. I remember...
How Christmas Saved Westfield Church
Last Sunday night around 7:45pm, I stood in front of 400 people holding candles. "Lift them high," I directed, as we began to sing the first verse of Silent Night again. Just like that, a church that had faced so many hard, dark days was filled from floor to ceiling...
From one Rev. to Another: A Letter to My Husband on the Day He was Ordained
Holy Hannah, Greg! YOU MADE IT! YOU'RE ORDAINED! It's been a long road, hasn't it? You've studied your tail off. You've written papers upon papers and gone to sessions reflecting on your spiritual development. When we first met, you were dedicated to the United...
On Noah, American Politics, & One Thing NOT Dependent on Who is President
Like many pastors stepping into the pulpit the Sunday after the 2016 election, I was at a loss for words. My congregation is wonderful. They are kind and generous and remarkably politically diverse. Here's what I came up with, starting with Isaiah 65: 17-25. When it...