The Mint Project
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...
View ArticleWhat Do Vicars Do All Day?
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...
View ArticleGarden Tour 2015
A few people have been asking me how the garden is this year. Here’s an abridged tour of the Vicar’s backyard from this past spring, and now summer. Last fall, I planted five (5!) different kinds of...
View ArticleMint is Impossible (The Mint Project, Part 3)
Mint is in the Bible twice! Who knew? I like to imagine King David, Peter, or Lydia enjoying it in their tabbouleh, but it’s only Jesus who mentions it, when he accuses Pharisees of being overzealous...
View ArticleFall in the Neighborhood
Fall photos, taken mostly while walking the dog around our neighborhood. The farm where our vegetables come from – Green Earth Institute, and the head farmer, Steve Tiwald, who greets us every other...
View ArticleThe Indian Boundary Line
Old houses have always seemed to me like chapter books of rooms: full of stories about the past, if you have time to read them. There were plenty to explore or “read” in the old Chicago neighborhood...
View ArticleBook Review: Jeanne Bishop’s Memoir of Forgiveness
Last spring, I missed the chance to tell you about a book I reviewed for The Christian Century. Jeanne Bishop’s sister was murdered at home by a stranger, but as the years passed, Jeanne felt called by...
View ArticleLeaving Bolingbrook
Last fall, I became “Rector” instead of “Vicar” of St. Benedict, but I left this blog title in place for artistic reasons. This spring, I am bidding a fond farewell to The Church of St. Benedict and...
View ArticleFarewell to Bolingbrook
In a week, the moving truck will come and a crew of Chicago bruisers will load all our earthly belongings into a truck or two and haul it into the city. We’ll leave behind a bed of ripening...
View ArticleThe Next Blog
I’ve moved to Chicago… but I’m still writing, taking pictures, and reflecting on the place where I live. If you’d like to follow me via my new blog, here is the link: Diary of a Downtown Priest You can...
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