Author Archives: emilyagriffin9

They didn’t know exactly what they were waiting for, but they knew they needed to be together. That’s what first strikes me about Pentecost – a.k.a. what we’re about to celebrate on Sunday. We’re told that the people who were … Continue reading →

“Perfectionism is the voice of the oppressor, the enemy of the people. “ Or so Anne Lamott writes in her book Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life. I remember discovering this line in seminary and wondering where … Continue reading →

What do we owe our neighbors? Not just those in visible need, but those who fit the more conventional definition – i.e. those who live right next to us? Jesus doesn’t get points for originality on his response to this … Continue reading →

It doesn’t matter if they’ve never met an actual shepherd. I remain amazed at the power this image has for even our most “citified” children. This past Sunday in Children’s Chapel, we talked about the Good Shepherd and the wide … Continue reading →

A President and a novelist meet for an interview in Iowa. Not so unusual – except this time, it’s the novelist being interviewed. Such was the case last fall when President Obama sat down with author Marilynne Robinson for The … Continue reading →

Is it possible for us to live simply? That question was easier for me to answer when I was in my early 20s – when I could fit everything I owned into my car. After college, I joined the Jesuit … Continue reading →

Imagine teaching a lesson on Thomas Aquinas to 3rd and 4th Graders. That’s the sacredly foolish task I gave my Sunday School teachers one year at my first parish in preparation for All Saints’ Sunday. Why Aquinas, one might reasonably … Continue reading →