wholly, holy worship
In early March, my colleague Jorge Lockward invited me to preach at Church of the Village in New York City, as part of a series focused on worship. You’re welcome to watch my sermon, “Holy, Wholly Worship.”
Read Moregenesis collaboration with more light presbyterians
It was a pleasure to collaborate with Ashley DeTar Birt and Shawna Bowman to create this poetic paraphrase of Genesis 1 by African-American writer and storyteller James Weldon Johnson. It was shared in a service planned and presented by More Light Presbyterians, a non-profit working toward the full participation of LGBTQIA+ people in the life, ministry and witness of the Presbyterian Church (USA) – and in society.
Read Moreeaster morning improvisations
I have found improvisation a life-changing spiritual practice - a space of exploration that invites me to trust my intuition and lean into the grace of listening and learning rather than perfection.
So when I woke up before sunrise on Easter morning and felt drawn to the keyboard, I followed my heart and found inspiration in singing birds, rain, and rumbling thunder as a storm passed through. I read a translation of Psalm 46 by Norman Fischer. And Easter hymns found new life for me, not trumpeted out in festive pageantry, but offered in the hushed, sometimes ecstatic improvisations you can hear below.
god goes on our same walk
Translation is such a strange, imperfect art. I'm looking at an estribillo for a Spanish hymn...va Dios mismo en nuestro mismo caminar. It's literally translated, 'God goes on our same walk.'
Hymnals have variously translated the phrase:
...then we know that God still goes that road with us.
...we see God here by our side walking our way.
Those work and they fit the meter of the tune but I'm hearing something new in a literal translation.
Read Moresongs for the holy other
So grateful to have my song God Calls You Good included in The Hymn Society in the United States and Canada’s new collection titled Songs for the Holy Other: Hymns Affirming the LGBTQIA2S+ Community, released at their annual conference this month.
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