Anabaptist and Quaker essays, sermons, and other writings
When I was in seminary, one of my assignments was to develop a Rule of Life. A Rule of Life is a thoughtful, practical plan for how we arrange our lives, giving special attention to what spiritual practices we are going to engage in to support the work of our […]
The most vibrant night sky that I have ever seen was after a day-long hike into the Burmese mountains. I had no idea that so many stars could be seen to the naked eye—the sky was full and radiant with them. I finally had an understanding of why ancient peoples […]
We all have toolboxes of one sort or another. Sometimes it’s a literal toolbox, or at least a tool drawer in the kitchen or the utility room. It’ll be filled with hammers, screwdrivers, pliers, wrenches, and other things that help us accomplish a task of some kind. Maybe we have […]
Right from creation and soon after the fall of humanity, war and conflicts became part of human nature. In some parts of the world, Christians are witnessing unspeakable continuous attacks and killings perpetrated by terrorist groups in the name of religion. This ongoing violence is slowly worsening the mental health […]
Why join one of the Historic Peace Churches? Jesus is at the center of this question. Jesus is at the center of this passage (Romans 5:1-11). Jesus at the center of our faith. Jesus is the source of our strength. Jesus is the source of our peace. Jesus is the […]
Beatitude: Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. This is the beatitude that I am most nervous to speak about. I’m not nervous because it is a topic that involves actual physical harm. I’m nervous because of all the beatitudes, this […]
Beatitude: Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. In my office, I have a framed image of military fighter jets. Overlaid on the image is a quote by Menno Simons that says, “Christ is our fortress; patience our weapon of defense; the word of God […]
How many of you learned about the story of the “Good Samaritan” as a child in Sunday school? It’s a sweet story for kids in some ways if you don’t focus too much on the brutality. A man is traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho. He’s attacked by robbers, who strip […]
The third Sunday in Advent is Gaudete Sunday, or Rejoicing Sunday, and the lectionary scriptures all proclaim the joy of God’s work in the world. And yet, beloved church, I have to tell you, I was having a hard time accessing some joy to preach about. It’s been a very […]
I began my role as Prison Justice Learning Action Community Organizer with On Earth Peace in October of 2019. My faith background as a Quaker led me to pursue this position. Some of the Quaker testimonies that are most valuable to me are Community, Equality, and Simplicity. Being exposed to […]