Learning to Embrace a Lifelong Pregnancy
I've been reading a great book called "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri. It is a beautiful story of a family from India who move to the...
A Dark Green Dryer Ball, an 8-Yr-Old, and a New Easter Tradition?
I’ve always loved baseball. But my relationship with baseball has had some ups and downs in my life. As a little kid I remember yearning...
The Real Reason I Love Palm Sunday
If you know anything about me, you will know this: I absolutely love Palm Sunday. Part of this comes from my adoration for our friend the...
Baptisms, Really Weird Rituals, and Learning to Shout, “No!”
I am so excited! This morning, I got a call and someone from our church wants to be baptized! Isn’t that wonderful?!?! If there’s one...
Learning to Pray/Balance in a different Way
BEFORE YOU READ PLEASE CLICK HERE AND WATCH THIS VIDEO I've been reading Danielle Shroyer's book "Original Blessing" and some things she...
Learning a new spiritual practice during spring training?
Ok, truth be told, I love the Seattle Mariners, but that’s not why Cyndy and I try to go to Peoria, Arizona every 3 years. Actually, I...
SEEING THROUGH THE RIGHT LENS: Don't let Christianity Turn into an Abusive Parent
When I was a young pastor, one of my favorite jobs was being the associate pastor at a large United Methodist church in Mitchell, SD. I...
My Brother Erin, an "Alternative Narrative" I Wish You Knew
My brother, Erin, on a trip to Kenya with family I’ve been a little more than worried about my brother, Erin, lately. Erin is my next...
Parables, Palm Sunday, and the Super Bowl Halftime Show
Did any of you catch it? No not the super bowl! I mean, let’s face it, that was a huge disappointment. No, no, no. I’m talking about the...
Best Practices Picked Up from Fly Ladies, Sufi Poets, and a Lonely Owl
How do we keep loving the world in such an unloving time? What I find to be important in these times is to develop a ritual of self-care....
Learning to Survive the Avalanche
(Note: the insight for this writing comes from a wonderful colleague of mine, Rev. Janelle Kurtz. I want to thank her for her amazing...
Rediscovering Our Superpower
One of my favorite stories to tell is a story told by a D.S. friend of mine, Rev. Boyd Blumer. For those of you who don’t know the United...
A New Definition of "Holiness" Found upon the Cruelty of our Current "Great Depression"
In times like this, I find it helpful to read about other folks who are in similar situations. During the 1930’s our country was going...
Jack London, Jeremy Lin, and Martin Luther King's Dream
Every once in a while, light comes to us not as a slow sleepy sunrise, but as a meteor. Jack London, in his amazing quote, put it best...
Navigating Through our New Need for Touch
I’ve never been a touchy/feely guy. As your pastor, I think you should probably be thankful for that. When I give a hug, I almost always...
Ponderings and Prayers as I Open the Door to 2025
Some doors are made of wood And some of fear. Inside, you hear The knocking, wonder: Should ...
Christmas happens when we become a part of the story
This morning I share a writing by Steve Charleston from his book, “Hope as Old as Fire”. “The Christmas manger, the sentimental scene,...
The Night Rachel Reminded Us to Look Up and See the Star
My favorite part of Christmas day as a kid wasn’t the presents, believe it or not, it was all the McBride’s—all 10 of us—piling into the...
Prayer and Cedar Trees
Sometimes the only truth I know is the love I see in your eyes. Like all frail people of all frail times, I have wrapped cold history...

WELCOME TO "A NEW LOOK FROM BROOK"
Naturally Curious



















