Threads

Many thoughts are swirling around in my head this morning:

More on Open-heartedness

One big enemy of open-heartedness is anxiety. An undercurrent of worry will carry significant amounts of attention and energy away from the enterprise of real living. (Open-heartedness is real living.) For those of us who are doggedly conscientious, carrying on while feeling chronically overwhelmed can become a way of life — but it’s not usually an open-hearted way of life.

Peace Crane

Sometimes the learning curve is so steep, and happening around so many different themes, that it’s hard to know which to write about or how to possibly describe what’s stretching me and what I barely grasp myself. Maybe you’ve noticed that the number of posts on this blog have dropped dramatically this summer. There are several reasons for that: [...]

Beyond Words

The Patrick’s Picnic is such a happy route back into life-at-BRC after having been way. I don’t get to see everyone, but we do get to look into many dear familiar (family-er) faces and see love shining out. And there is just so much life at a Patrick picnic, isn’t there.

Sightings

1. Sean and Jennifer, who were in Boston over the weekend, decided to drive all the way back to Schenectady late Saturday night in order to be with us in worship on Sunday morning.  (This made God happy; it meant that He could receive those stirring drum-punctuated songs He loves so much.)
2. Rachel and Jennifer (one [...]

Gratitude for a Gentle Rain

I have a one of the best seats in the house, and that’s one of the reasons it feels right to peck away at the computer trying to pass on at least a little bit of what I see. At the same time, I’ve been thinking this morning about the thing Jesus emphasized — about [...]

And A Good Time Was Had By All

Never thought I’d see the day: Eric Barnes out-’hammed’.  By a little girl!  I can’t imagine doing this justice, but let me give it a try.  This redoubtable and remarkable moment simply must be described for the poor unfortunates who didn’t get to see it with their own eyes.
The setting was BRC’s first Kids Hope USA - Van Corlaer party. Huge [...]

Unexpected, Unrequested Help

Months ago we pulled together a few people to pray, think, and brainstorm about our Alpha Course. One of the issues we were concerned about was the Alpha Weekend. (We’d had to cancel our reservation at the retreat center during our last course, and had lost our deposit money.) We’d noticed particularly that new people [...]

Scott’s Ongoing Makeover

I wonder if Scott Tullock is an example of someone who’s experienced both the things that I pitted against each other in the last blog (”Extreme Makeover”).  None of us who were here at BRC on March 1, 2003, will ever forget learning of his horrendous motorcycle accident.  He was intubated at the scene because he wasn’t [...]

Things I Like

1. Seeing Sharon Hughes give her Mother’s Day flowers to the woman sitting next to her in church.
2. Seeing Candy hover over Jane Watson at the Saturday dance and again as she got her settled in the sanctuary Sunday morning.
3. Having drums in worship again.
4. Seeing Pat Haury dance, and I mean DANCE!  (Do you think she was perhaps revved [...]