25 “For [j]what I fear comes upon me,And what I dread befalls me.26 “I am not at ease, nor am I quiet,And I am not at rest, but turmoil comes.”(Job 3:25-26) (TRIGGER WARNING) TRAUMATIC LOSS: “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” Traumatic grief /bereavement is defined as when there is a death […]
Practicing Imperfection
Micah 6:8He has told you, O mortal, what is good;and what does the Lord require of youbut to do justice, and to love kindness,and to walk humbly with your God A woman who just moved to the greater Boston area sought a new faith community to call home. On the recommendation of a friend, she […]
The Importance of Rituals
At the end of September, I was installed as Settled Pastor in the congregation that I serve, just north of Boston. That same month, my wife was promoted to CPT in the US Army National Guard. For each of these transitions there was ceremony and ritual. There was a laying on of hands for me. […]
The Reality of a Child
I always wake my daughter up in the morning by gently touching her shoulder and giving her a five-minute warning that I’ll be back and expect her to be up and about. One day last week, when I touched her on the shoulder, she bolted upright in bed and sleepily told me “Mom, they shot […]
Signals of Distress,
Signs of Hope
In 2017, 31.5% of high school students had experienced periods of persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness (i e , almost every day for two weeks or more in a row so that the student stopped doing some usual activities) in the past year. The percentage of students who experienced persistent feelings of sadness or […]