Adam and I just got back from 9 days in Hawaii. It was… amazing. We stayed on the remote side of Maui in a rustic little cottage with an outdoor shower, propane fridge and cooktop, cold water sink, and just three tiny LED lights. A compost toilet was down the path, with separate seats for #1 and […]
Book Review: Two Manuals for Dying 
February 16, 2016 by
I wrote a review for The Christian Century of two companion books on dying by Marilyn Chandler McEntyre, a professor of medical humanities at UC Berkeley and UC San Francisco. Her two books are both beautiful and uncomfortably practical guides to facing an approaching death – your own, or that of someone you love. Here’s an excerpt from […]
Ministry of Silly Lenten Book Titles
January 27, 2016 by
I’ve been working on ideas for a new book of devotions for Lent (not based on Narnia this time). I’ve received wonderful ideas from many of you – keep them coming! I’ve noticed as I make notes, do reading, research, and brainstorming, that it’s easier to come up with ridiculous titles for books than serious ones. Monty Python has a […]
The White Witch’s Hot Cocoa & Other Extras
December 1, 2015 by
This fall, while doing book events for Advent in Narnia, I’ve developed a few more activities for families, individuals, or churches that I want to share here since I’m too late to include them in the book (at least until the next – ?! – printing). Amazingly, the book has sold almost 2500 copies since it was released […]
Gratitude Lessons
November 25, 2015 by
Gratitude is dull because we always give thanks for the same things. For instance, going around the circle at Thanksgiving dinner, my various family circles always say: family, friends, health, home, a job, nature… Every November, people in my Facebook feed list things they are thankful for every day of the month. Again, like clockwork: family, friends, health, home, a job, […]
Advent in Narnia Open House
September 22, 2015 by
First, we filled the narthex (or lobby) of St. Benedict with artificial Christmas trees! We had lots of help – people loaned us their trees, and a few volunteers helped us set them all up and “fluff” the branches! When guests came, the first thing they saw was a “forest” … and Mr. Tumnus and […]
Book Launch Open House!
August 26, 2015 by
Dear readers, You are invited to come celebrate the new book with me next month… Book Launch Open House Sunday, September 20, 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. The Church of St. Benedict, 909 Lily Cache Lane, Bolingbrook There will be door prizes, Turkish Delight, and a few characters in costume (Thank you, Dave & Carly!). Bring […]
Death On Campus
July 13, 2015 by
Here at Kenyon College, there’s a graveyard on campus. I’m here this week for a writing workshop and I stumbled across it on a walk. I found gravestones from the 1830s and the 1990s, including those of professors and alums. I’d never seen a college graveyard before. It must be a great source for campus jokes. But […]
“The same night for years”
April 2, 2015 by
Today, The Christian Century blog posted a piece I wrote: “Three times a year, a worship service ends and I go back to the vesting room to change — and I feel as though I’m entering a time warp.” Read More…
The Vicar’s First Book
December 29, 2014 by
I’ve been away from blogging more than I would like this month, in part because I’ve been finishing a book manuscript. Hooray! I want to fill you in a bit on what I’m working on, since it’s taken me away from doing much writing here. The backstory: last summer, Westminster John Knox offered me a contract for […]
