I’m a huge believer that simply paying attention is one of the most important things we can do if we seek to live meaningful lives in community with others. Of course it’s not just paying attention in general, it’s actually looking out for moments of grace and joy in particular. There are plenty of things out there that, if we pay attention exclusively to them, will induce us to lose confidence and hope and tempt us to believe there is little that is good and beautiful in the world. Not only are these elements before us, but there is an entire news/media industry that seeks to draw these things to our attention in order to create a...

I’d invite you to exercise care if you decide to watch this powerful three-minute TED Talk by Stacey Kramer. Don’t worry, it’s not graphic, or manipulative, or violent. Not at all. But it is very, very challenging and you may not agree with Stacey’s conclusion and conviction. And that’s all right. But it’s something to be prepared for. Indeed, I suspect that if you or a loved one has experienced what Stacey has experienced, you will likely react powerfully to her Talk, whether positively or negatively. Keep in mind, this is one person’s experience. And it is valid. And if you disagree, or have had a different experience,...

I’m at Georgetown College in Kentucky, today, meeting with a group of pastors to talk about practices to grow congregations and ministry. I do that kind of thing a lot. What’s different this time is that Georgetown is a Baptist College. So you might wonder why I was invited. Well, because Georgetown in a Baptist College that has, over the years, come to partner with Episcopalians and members of the Disciples of Christ and Methodists and other traditions in the Lexington area. And when one of the Baptist professors at Georgetown asked one of his Episcopal colleagues whom her community would like to hear from, she suggested me. I’m here,...

A lot of us have moved in recent years to giving friends and family – and even our kids – the “good gift” of making a charitable contributions in someone’s name, honoring them by choosing not to give them one more thing that they may or may not need but instead making a donation that will help to change someone’s life. Not surprisingly, a lot of charitable giving happens in December, both in response to the Christmas spirit as well as in recognition that we are closing in on the end of another tax year! If you are anything like me, you may not only make such gifts, but also want to make sure you are giving to charities that use...

I mentioned David Brooks’ short TED Talk last week when inviting us to avoid confusing titles with accomplishments, so I thought I would share it today. Brooks’ point is that there are two competing dimensions of our selves, one that seeks to build a career and strives for success – the kinds of things that look good on a resume – and one that seeks connection and love and wants to contribute to the common good – the kind of things that contribute to a good eulogy. It’s a reflective talk that reminds me a bit of a commencement address that that I think we can benefit from at any point of our lives. Note:...