Sometimes the voice of God comes to me in different voices. That of my spiritual director. That of my husband. That of my fourth grader. Tonight it came to me in the voice of Tom Hanks.
A while back, before Lent, I had the most hysterical prayer experience. Really. Some people pray and speak in tongues. Others receive the gift of tears or wisdom. Me? I receive the gift of laughter.
I was sitting in my typical morning prayer space, chai tea at my side, walking through the …

A few things have been happening
as of late when I sit down to pray.
Option 1: Obligations stretch out before me. Reading, papers, exams, committee meetings, conferences, house tasks…these are the things that fill my time. Sitting in prayer or reflection can quickly turn into a moment of planning. I have obligations to fulfill and I feel like I need to fulfill them well.
This goes for the practical…
“I am going to read two hundred pages tonight.”
“I need to put in one hour a night studying for this exam between now …

I did something really radical last week. I occupied Omaha.
Under the guise of taking my dog for a nice long walk, I marched through the streets of downtown with hundreds of other people carrying signs ranging from “Close the Fed” to “We are the balance to their checks!” Unlike the violent protests depicted on TV, the Omaha event was more parade of hope. Omaha protesters are obscenely nice. We love our police! We obey all traffic rules. We make way for people pushing baby carriages.
And yet, I found it …

I will be ordained a deacon in twelve days..
But…you know….who is counting.
The question comes: “So, are you nervous?”
The response: I have no idea what I am.
How do I explain that every day my stomach
wants to jump out of my mouth?
My prayer life is rocky, I cannot focus,
and I am completely restless.
How do I explain that my line of conscious thought
is whipping around like a downed power cable or a firehose;