Painting “Dorothy Day (after Richard Alvedon)” by Tim Lowly Dorothy Day has appeared on people’s radar after Pope Francis spoke of her in his address to the U.S. Congress on his visit in September. I’m glad. Dorothy has been my heroine and mentor for many years. My daughter Temma bears her family name “Day” as […]
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I am reading this book by Sharon Betcher, slowly, since she is confronting me with my own entanglement in the religious and economic systems of capitalism, prosperity-Gospel, and the need for healing to be made normal. She writes: Perfect love casts out fear. “If perfect love casts out fear, including the fear that we hide […]
Yesterday was Baptism of Jesus Sunday. The sermon that I prepared is here. In worship the sermon was followed by a ritual of renewal of our baptism. Waiting in what she remembers as being a very small room at the Emergency area of the hospital, a mother just two days still in her bathrobe and […]
I’ve been silent here for awhile. I’ve been working on Advent sermons and special services for Christmas. But now things have become silent, a pause has descended. Today I’ve returned to my book project, writing my daughter Temma’s story. I’m sitting next to her on the couch, in silence except for the occasional airplane passing […]
I wish that you could have known this extraordinary man, John Fridlund. John and his wife C’Dale have been members of Bethany Church, where I’m currently the pastor, for 59 years. John died the evening of October 17. I had the amazing honor of being at his bedside when he breathed his last breath. I […]
The cover of Sonali Deraniyagala’s book “Wave” is black with the simple title printed in the center a turquoise color fading to white on the “v” and “e” letters. The cover image reminds me of a Tim Lowly painting, titled “Face of the Deep.” The painting is of a young Temma Lowly sleeping and two […]
“Do you believe some essence of your Dad can see you?” I asked this question of Tim when we were relaxing out of the rain in an Argo Tea shop downtown Chicago. Thinking of my own Dad, death, and after-life, my question came out of these thoughts. “And what is meant by the phrase […]
A memorial service for my Dad happened on Saturday, June 28 at the Church I grew up in, Blythfield Christian Reformed Church in Rockford, Michigan. There was a time for family to offer spoken memories of my Dad during the service. I spoke what I’ve printed here, and two of my nieces spoke of […]
My Dad died this morning at 11:30 a.m. My Mom was at his side. He lived a long life, he just turned 89 years old but the last few years he was not healthy and dementia was eroding his mind. Tim and I arrived at the facility where they live just 10 minutes after he […]
Yesterday, Tim and I made a presentation for a class at North Park Seminary, “Spiritual Issues in Chronic Pain and Disability.” We never really plan out these presentations, Tim shows slides of his work of Temma, he talks, I talk, and yesterday I read my post titled, “Oxford Temma.” I shared about my own developmental […]
Writing From the Margins 