February 2010
My old friend Stefan Lanfer has a new review and reflection on Penelope Ayers. On his blog, dadtoday, he discusses parents and children, dying and new life in a new post called Storytime.
An excerpt:
Reading it, I was struck that this particular phase of life is not so unlike ...
I have a new post on The Park Forum: "When's the last time you visited a prisoner?" about the declining crime and murder rate in America and the subsequent increase in people behind bars.
I have a vivid memory of an argument about Lent from 4th grade. We were living in North Carolina, and my family (and their social circle, thus, most of the families I knew) attended an Episcopalian church. Observing Lent was a given.
I asked my best friend at school, "What are ...
The Episcopal Book of Common Prayer explains Lent like this:Community Service is a buzzword where I live, on the campus of a boarding school filled with students aspiring to Ivy League schools. They're required to do it. It looks good on their college "brag" sheet. And, for the most part, they enjoy it.
But I always wonder who they are ...
Last week, I wrote about the differences between brokenness and limitation, a distinction that is common to us all. Two readers wrote back with their own experiences as friends with adults with Down syndrome. Both accounts demonstrate the complexities of these issues, and the ...
I have a new post on The Park Forum: Wine, Beer, Shots, and the Spirit.
As you may have noticed, there is now a logo on this page for the "CC blogs" network. CC stands for Christian Century, which has a site of recommended blogs about theology. Recently, they posted a roundup of posts about Ash Wednesday. If you're interested in more reading about ...
I was recently asked to reflect upon the question, "Who/what is God?" in 100 words or less. It took me longer to write those 100 words than it would if I'd been given 1000! They've been published on a new religion and spirituality website, patheos.com. I'll give you my response ...
It's one of Jesus' more enigmatic sayings. The disciples ask him to explain why he speaks in parables, and he replies: "Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand" (see Matthew 13 for the whole context). It's a theme that runs throughout the ...
I've written one final (at least for now) response in this conversation about disability and medical intervention. If you're just joining the conversation, this post is in response to Ellen Painter Dollar's piece, "I Want to Be Accepted As I Am, But I'll Take a Cure Too," which ...
Christianity Today has published a response to my recent article ("Considering Curing Down Syndrome with Caution") by my friend Ellen Painter Dollar. An excerpt from Ellen's response:
As someone who embraces the fallen-world narrative in explaining my own genetic disorder, I ...
I have a post with some thoughts on Christian arguments for and against gay marriage on The Park Forum: "Same Sex Marriage and Love."
Also, a number of people have asked me about receiving these blog posts via email. To do so, simply scroll down until the column to the right ...
As some regular readers of this blog already know, I have been following the blogosphere's treatment of recent research that indicates a possible way to increase the cognitive ability of individuals with Down syndrome. In response, I have a new article on the website of Christianity ...
I've been practicing yoga for going on seven years now. Approximately once a week, I spend an hour in a room with a dozen other people, saluting the sun, breathing deeply, and contorting my body into poses that both energize and relax me, all at the same time.
There are three ...
I have a new post on the BLOOM blog: "All Are Welcome Here" about our first experience on an "inclusive" playground. It starts:
"Architecture is evangelism." I heard it said in the context of church buildings. The speaker was making the point that a ramp at the back of the sanctuary ...