Blog

It should be no surprise to me that the word that came for 2013 is cadence, given my instinctive response to the finale of Les Mis… a cadence that reverberates in my heart, that stirs this deep longing and a desire to join the crusade beyond the barricade. Cadence is about rhythm, flow of language, inflection of the voice and creating affect. It can be a drum line or percussion-led tempo, even a chant that beckons a marching band forward.…

This is how I end the year - by reviewing all the books I've read to see which ones stood out, what trends emerged and what new voices I discovered and ideas I embraced. So here is my casual reflection on the reads of 2012... There is always Walter Brueggemann. This year I read Disruptive Grace and The Practice of the Prophetic Imagination. Both classic Brueggemann in theme, style and challenge. But his collection of sermons continue to challenge me…

As a little girl I understood Christmas connected to a certain salvation story. Jesus came into the world to die on the cross and rise to save us. Even the Old Testament prophesied this storyline. Christmas was the beginning of the end, or at least the first movement toward eternity. The coming and saving of Jesus would, eventually, launch us into heavenly mansions amid incandescent cloudscapes. So I grew up believing the opening salvo of salvation was Christmas. But my…

Today I'm in transit once again. I'm headed to Vancouver to celebrate the wedding of Tina & Kupa, dear friends who begin a new chapter in their story together amid a Canadian winter's day. I'm packing a Burundian gown designed by sweet Samantha in Burundi to wear for the occasion. I will stay with Idelette. I'll sneak some time with Sarah. Fingers crossed there will be time with Daniela and Destiny, Helen and so many other SheLoves friends clustered in…

There’s an old Exodus story about some mighty women who defied a king and discovered the power in their hands. Today I honor their memory and sing their praises with a simple retelling. I also want to reclaim their story – which might prove much more challenging but deeply worthwhile for the sake of our world. *** The Hebrews moved into Egypt many years ago when food was scarce and Pharaoh’s granaries were full. They lived a good life -…

Christmas in Burundi is much different than Christmas celebrated in the United States. Trees remain firmly planted in the African soil, not cut and carried into homes to be decorated. Few people are decking the halls here – save a few westerners who brought some strands of colored lights to hang in their window. I have not heard Christmas carols on the radio or blasting from the sound systems of the local market. No one here is complaining about too…

  ‘Jesus is the reason for the season.’ Growing up in the church and a series of other concentric Christian circles over the years, this is an oft-quoted truism during this season.  Jesus is the reason for Christmas, the reason we celebrate; He is the reason we carve out this holy time on our annual calendar.  Christmas is about Jesus, not about lavish consumption and consumerism.  Absolutely true. And yet… it rings incomplete for me.  Jesus is the reason for…

[caption id="attachment_458" align="aligncenter" width="500"] photo credit: Tina Francis (taken in Burundi, summer 2012)[/caption] Home is my four-letter word. A bicultural life will do that to a person. Born in America and married to a Burundian, my life exists on two continents. I juggle two passports per family member when we travel, own more than a dozen suitcases stuffed in closets both here and there, even my library’s split between shelves thousands of miles apart. You might think bicultural living to…

When you attend the local Christmas pageant this year, I doubt King Ahaz will make the cast of familiar characters. But for today we will begin our story with this leader from the pages of Isaiah. King Ahaz finds himself between a rock and a hard place, as two neighboring countries want to oust him from leadership and invade the southern kingdom of Judah. He’s frightened. Isaiah tells him to ‘stand firm in faith.’ But he continues to cower. Next…

                    Advent speaks to deep places in me. Each year I eagerly await the season known for anticipation and preparation, for hushed tones and flickering candlelight. I savor reflections on Christ coming near. Emmanuel songs whet my appetite more than Christmas trees. These weeks awash in blues and purples lure me into the mystery of it all. My heart is expectant and light. Except for this year. I don’t feel the…