Rev. Jenn's Blog
On All Sides
People around the world enjoy sports: baseball, basketball, football, golf, hockey, rugby, track and field, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, among many others. And as much as we may think that spirituality and sports are unrelated, even a casual fan can notice a...
Get the Feeling
In the movie classic, Tootsie, struggling actress Sandy (Teri Garr) is furious with her friend Michael (Dustin Hoffman) and distressed about her failing career. After trying to be sweet and “nice,” pretending that everything in her life is “fine,” she captures a truth...
What’s Love Got to Do with It?
Another Valentine’s season is here, having begun sometime after New Year’s, as retailers lead us from one holiday to another, like rest stops on the highway of life. At this time of year, we’re urged to know love as an FTD bouquet, a kiss which begins with “k,” a...
March On
During my years in Washington, D.C., I participated in several rallies and marches. One occurred at Ward Circle, just outside the American University campus where I was completing my final semester as a sociology undergrad. For a class activity, I stood with...
Not Mine, But Thine
As 2017 unfolds, some of us are noticing that what we wholeheartedly resolved on January 1st is already a challenge to manage. Perhaps we’re avoiding, procrastinating or resisting. Perhaps we’ve asked ourselves: “Do I really want this?” or “Is this truly best for...
The Presence of Love
A meme winds its way around social media. A black-and-white illustration reveals animals in a manger, surrounded by trees. A lone star shines above. The caption reads: “A nativity scene without Jews, Arabs, Africans or refugees.” Perhaps it would be poignant, if it...
In the Name of Peace
Advent, a season of preparation and reflection, continues with a focus on peace — within the world and within ourselves. As we journey toward Christmas, we prepare for the birth of the Christ Presence and anticipate a peaceful future. Perhaps we also notice:...
Uncommon Faith
We’ve entered the season of Advent, a slow, quiet, dark time which prepares us for the birth — or awakening — of the Christ Presence. Advent, from the Latin adventus, meaning arrival, invites us to prepare for a celebration unlike most others. And, as with all...
Pie for Breakfast (And a Few Other Ways to Enjoy the Holidays)
During the Thanksgiving holiday before I left Washington, D.C. for good, I relished my time with family and friends. I honored my contemplative spirit which needed a respite from the fast-paced, high-powered lifestyle of “have-to’s, ” “musts” and “shoulds.”...
Handle Gently
Sometimes, current events reveal deep fears and hidden anxieties about the status quo and the state of things to come: Brexit, the Dakota pipeline protests, the U.S. elections, escalating hate crimes. If we read between the lines, we usually discover that false peace...
What Next?
When I worked in Washington, D.C., I learned a lot about cycles and systems — how some things, such as freedom and integrity, are permanent, while others, such as administrations and occupations, are fleeting. Some of my greatest learning came at the end of an...
Perhaps We’ll Listen
On a recent drive, somewhere along a lush tree-lined road where wildflowers bloom, I “lost” a big-city classic rock station. As Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers faded away, I channel surfed for other music I’d enjoy. Wherever I was at the time, nothing tuned in...
To Everything, a Season
One of the blessings of ministry — and of life, if we’re paying attention — is how fortunate we are to share our journey with so many others. Sometimes, we travel together a long way. Sometimes we meet at a particular juncture, then move on again, each in our own...
Pick Up Your Mat
Having faith in God — and in ourselves — can be a continual challenge. Travelling faithfully requires that we flow with life, guided by our inner vision even as we heed activity in the outer world. No matter what may occur in our lives, faith in God and God’s power...
From the Inside Out
Autumn has arrived in the Northern Hemisphere. A welcome change for some; for others, not so much. A seasonal change, even when welcome, is still change. Few of us enjoy change. Yet, as we mature spiritually (no matter what our calendar age), we realize that change...
Surrender — And Succeed
Sometimes, on our journeys of faith, we reach a juncture with jagged cliffs or steep drops. If our goal is to reach the other side, whichever side that is, we need to dive or leap. Either way, we need to let go and fully surrender ourselves and all which was, as we...
No More Same Old, Same Old
Years ago I worked with a Negative Nell who continually whined and complained. Often, my co-workers and I heard her mutter, “SSDD [Same Sh**, Different Day].” We rarely escaped a meeting without her bemoaning her lot in life and her railing against God for all the...
Present in Prayer
The man called Apostle Paul (1 Thessalonians 5:17) tells us to “pray without ceasing.” As a pastor, I wish always I did this to the letter, but I admit that I do not. Occasionally, I forget to pray. Nevertheless, I have what I call “pastoral radar,” and at...
“Not to Worry”
Recently, a well-intentioned person, who I believe meant to be empathetic, said to me, “I’m sure you’re worried about this.” Alas, the person misunderstood. I wasn’t worried. Rather, I felt overwhelmed and tired. And, I also felt a sense of trust, especially in...
Courageous, Strong and Free
This week, if she were still alive, my grandmother would have celebrated her 112th birthday, or her 115th, or possibly her 120th. The truth is: No one in my family knew Grandma’s exact age. As she told it, she changed her birth certificate to make herself older so...
Treasuring Summer
In my seventh summer, I found the Kingdom of Heaven at the beach. Every day, from late June until Labor Day, I relished the time to see friends, swim in the ocean, stroll in the sand, and especially to collect sea glass. At first, I kept the glass in a small jar. ...
After Thoughts and Prayers
On Sunday morning, June 12th, I prepared to give a sermon I titled, ironically, “Put Feet on Your Prayers.” I was nearly out the door when I heard the news that a group of people dancing the night away in Orlando, Florida, practically my backyard, were held hostage...
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