by David Anderson
Last night I hosted the staff Christmas party here at the rectory. In preparing our home for the festivities—which always includes a raucous round of Yankee Swap—I lit all the candles in the living room. Because the room is large and has no ceiling light fixture, we have a number of lamps scattered around. But […]
by David Anderson 7 Comments Filed Under: Awareness, Daily Practice, Faith/Trust, Seeing, Waiting
Advent pulls in two directions. It recalls a “first coming” but only to awaken our senses so that we will not miss the “second coming.” I don’t go in much for the Second Coming. That’s almost completely because as a child I was taught to look for the Second Coming in literal form. Christ would […]
by David Anderson 6 Comments Filed Under: Daily Practice, Hope, Now/ the Present, Waiting
“If your life’s work can be accomplished in your lifetime, you’re not thinking big enough.” -Wes Jackson Those words gave me pause—a big pause. I read them in an article about sustainable agriculture (as a South Dakota native it’s sad to see the systematic poisoning of the earth as the basis for our agri-business). Wes […]
by David Anderson 6 Comments Filed Under: Community, Daily Practice, Faith in Action, Hope, Service, Uncategorized, Vocation/ Calling
Where I live, the trees are in beautiful death swoons, immolating in falling flames of red and gold, orange and brown. Last week, after I finished my morning run I walked the rest of the way home. A few feet from the front door I noticed—the glory all around me! How had I run through […]
by David Anderson 5 Comments Filed Under: Awareness, Daily Practice, Nature/Creation, Now/ the Present, Seeing
I love to eat. But make it fast. So, along with twenty-five of my colleagues at a recent clergy conference, I grumble when we are told that at lunch today we will begin with an exercise in mindful eating. We are to get our food from the buffet, sit and wait for everyone to begin […]
by David Anderson 4 Comments Filed Under: Awareness, Daily Practice, Gratitude, Now/ the Present, Seeing
We live in a world where important people are plugged in, wired, connected. Information blizzards us. Cyber-social networks keep us continuously updated on hundreds or thousands of people in real-time stream of consciousness. The Twitterers tweet. We don’t have to go looking for the “news.” Ping—it comes looking for us, clogging the inbox. We used […]
by David Anderson 7 Comments Filed Under: Awareness, Daily Practice, Identity, Listening, Now/ the Present, Prayer/Meditation, Vocation/ Calling
Why are you stressed? Turns out, that’s the key question. Rabbi Harold Kushner writes of a study, some years ago, at Duke University Medical Center. They gathered up a couple hundred Type A people, the hard drivers who are always on the run, always working, honking at the guy in front of them who doesn’t […]
by David Anderson 1 Comment Filed Under: Community, Daily Practice, Faith/Trust, Happiness, Vocation/ Calling
Today when I went out to get the paper, I was smitten by the weeping cherry tree in the front garden. Its blossoms were like huge pink puff balls, swaying in a light breeze. It was May Day. The sun was vernally strong. But I was not here to admire a tree. I was on […]
by David Anderson 4 Comments Filed Under: Daily Practice, Nature/Creation, Now/ the Present, Seeing