Recently, someone asked me, “What about ministry, exactly, makes it so stressful? Is it all the counseling you do for people and their crises?” “Well, the majority of what I do actually isn’t counseling,” I tried to explain. It’s hard to explain the stresses of ministry to someone who can’t imagine it intuitively. Before I could say more she asked, […]
Don’t Know Much Theology 
June 3, 2015 by
A parishioner once recommended to me a particular book on theology he was reading. I was honest, “Thanks, Vince. But I struggle with reading and comprehending most writing about theology!” He cocked his head, “Huh. That surprises me, Rev. Heidi.” His confidence in me was gracious, but theology classes were the hardest for me. And I went to […]
A Minty Memorial Day Weekend
May 26, 2015 by
I have become obsessed with my backyard mint project. Over the holiday weekend, I tried seven (7!) different mint recipes. Adam thinks I’m nuts. He has also had to empty our dishwasher (his job in our division of home labor) like, eight times in three days. I might have a problem. I will share the results with you, […]
The Mint Project 
May 19, 2015 by
My bucolic suburban homestead is slowly being taken over by backyard mint. I admit, I opened myself to this invasion when I bought two plants four years ago – one “chocolate” mint, one spearmint – and planted them. Not in a pot. Not in two pots. Not in a window box. In naked, unprotected ground. I planted […]
On Still Loving A Shrinking Church
May 14, 2015 by
I wrote a blog post for The Christian Century on the Pew Forum’s Religious Landscape Survey, which shows further declining numbers for mainline churches like The Episcopal Church. I feel pretty conflicted about all of this. First, I think, “Who cares about numbers? Jesus didn’t care about numbers.” Then I think, “At least the people left […]
The Empty Side of My House
May 13, 2015 by
I’m a compulsive plant buyer. Just today, I looked up and realized I’d bought two giant pink geraniums and a lemon verbena. Not quite sure how that happened. As you can imagine (just ask Adam), over the past five years, the garden beds around our house have filled in. But I haven’t planted anything on the north […]
How I Make Bread
May 5, 2015 by
There’s something indescribably homey about good bread. There’s a kind of spiritual wealth in being able to carry out a few rituals of daily life that are both deeply meaningful and completely impractical. So, I make bread on an almost daily basis – because it tastes great, it makes me happy, and most importantly I have an EASY way to do […]
Tumble Dry Alb
April 22, 2015 by
Alb (“No Tumble Dry”) drying on a hook on our shed on this windy day.
“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…
Ten Ways To Be Silent
March 30, 2015 by
If you’re looking for a way to slow down during Holy Week, I recommend trying a little silence. You only need 3-10 minutes – even 30 seconds. But what do you do with any amount of silence? Just sit there? When I had the chance to stay at a hermitage on my sabbatical last fall, […]
