Rev. Jenn's Blog
An Inspirational Thought on Faith
“ . . . You already have all the faith you will ever need. . . . You don’t gain faith; you discover it and you direct it. The issue is not how much faith you have, but where your faith is invested. You have faith on many different levels and in many different ways,...
Moment with the Stranger
Years ago, while studying abroad in London, I developed what I thought was a deep callous on the bottom of my foot. I treated it with ointment and patches, but it only grew larger. My foot ached when I walked. One day, my English mum saw me wince in pain. Before I...
A Path of Love
As spring unfolds, on a day of abundant sunshine in a bright, blue sky, I visit a new park. My friends and I wander in various directions, and I find myself on a winding path. I pause at a lake and admire the fountains. I stop in an azalea grove and see the first...
In Sync
This is how it happens, how we discover that life is synchronicity. If we’ve been doing our work, taking our (at least once) daily time for contemplation, meditation, prayer and reflection, we’re synchronizing ourselves to the rhythm and flow of life. We’re honing...
Show Me the Money
In this sermon from September 2016, I tell part of the story from Cameron Crowe's 1996 movie, Jerry Maguire, explaining the difference between being a pay-check player versus a heart-centered one. When we remember that God is our agent, the source of all...
Self-Worth, Not Net Worth
In this sermon I preached in October 2016, I share the importance of knowing that our divinity and our feelings of self-worth are deeply connected. When we remember that we are human beings, much more than human "doings" or "havings," we feel better about...
Waiting and Waiting and Waiting Some More
The path around the pond is gray. The grass, normally lush this time of year, lies in brown clumps and pale green patches. Even the hanging moss looks beleaguered, drooping from dry limbs. The pond itself is half its size and the fountain is still. A dull mechanism...
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...
Recent Comments