Category: reflections
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A rainy day grave and a call to ministry.
It has been twenty years exactly. Twenty years since Pastor David Stoner surprised me in Bible study and started a chain of events I never expected to end up here. As we sat in study, someone asked him about seminary (not me) and he was sharing information about it. At…
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Where in the World is Pastor Julie Kelly?
A brief on how I ended up in Syracuse. What a journey! In April I submitted my paperwork to be open to call (that means “job” in churchy language). I released it to the ENTIRE ELCA, including global service. I had no idea what to expect. The story follows. I…
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Under the Altar Cloth:
Our job as a pastor is to lead by living as well as speaking and teaching. If we live a life so out of balance, what are we teaching? We must attend to this carefully and not stray- the consequences are too dear.
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Under the Altar Cloth (UtAC)
My friend Suzannah once said, “I am so angry that we don’t get told ANY of this as a congregation member! We don’t want to be ignorant about these things!”
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What Does Folk Christianity Mean?
In those moments alone, we can experience the “nous” as the Gospel of Mary explains, the sweet spot between spirit and soul where God resides.
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The stillness of Holy Week
Sometimes we rush through life so much we forget to be still. The idea of stillness in Holy Week almost seems wrong….
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Is she there yet? Where did she go?
The mistress is on the run! Hurricane Irma is set to begin impacting the U.S. mainland tomorrow by lunchtime. I have deployed to help with the American Red Cross as a Disaster Spritual Care Responder. As I write, I am bunked up (finally after a very long day of travel)…
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Cussing Christians
Exegesis. I was told in seminary first day not to use that word in public. It is the research and understanding of scripture but a no no in many ways to use those big words from seminary because they distance us. And today it brought me to a nifty if slightly…
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The Ones who leave you like Atreyu
It happens to all of us. We get star struck. We see someone and we feel like we are approaching The Oracle in The NeverEnding Story. Suddenly, we are little Atreyu. We know that our truth will be seen and if we try to cover it with bravado or airs,…
Mistress of Divinity 