The End of Publishing?
Just came across this video, and LOVED it! It gives me hope as a writer, as one seeking to “fashion texts” as Annie Dillard calls it, as one seeking to weave words into stories worth reading and sharing, as one addicted to the carpentry of the sentence. For the record, I don’t think words will ever die (though the noise may need to be culled from time to time), for stories will always be among our truest guides despite our proliferation of “facts.” And to all the story-smiths out there: may we learn to–in the words of Frederick Buechner–”speak what Continue reading
Am I My Own God?
A few nights ago I awoke in the darkness from an awful dream. My heart was pounding and I was sweat drenched, terrified by what I’d seen. In my dream I was imprisoned, encased and trapped in hard granite from my stomach down. In my left hand I held a chisel, and in my right, a hammer. With blow after hammer blow I laboured for long ages against my prison, trying to free myself from the cold, formless stone. I made some progress, the rock splintering like shrapnel with every downward blow. But the rock remained, ever present, never ending. Then I Continue reading
Help In The Storm: A Prayer and a Benediction
I blogged yesterday about faith, doubt and fear. Last night a reader retweeted the link, and agreeing with at least some of what I’d written, ended with three poignant words: “I am terrified.” Her tweet brought a prayer to mind, in which I have often taken great comfort. I thought I’d share it here both for that particular reader, but also for any other fellow doubters as well. It’s an ancient Celtic prayer, and can be found int the morning offices of a fabulous book compiled by the Northumbria Community called Celtic Daily Prayer. Here it is: May the peace of the Continue reading
The Resonance Between Faith and Fear
The phenomenon of resonance fascinates me. Step on a piano’s sustain pedal, strike a low A and–if the piano is in tune–the A an octave higher will vibrate in symphony with the first. So will the E above that. And another A, and then a C sharp. Like a pebble dropped in a placid lake, the sound reverberates outward, up and down the scale, soliciting a response from surrounding notes. Even more astonishing, these higher notes are actually within the original note–hidden inside as shorter ratios and lengths. And when their deeper relative sounds into existence, they too are summoned into the world. Built Continue reading
Seasonal Affective Disciplines
My favourite coffee roster in Vancouver is called 49th Parallel. Their coffee is extraordinary—complex and luscious, satisfying. It fetches a price in a competitive market that demonstrates why—in some places at least—coffee is now more profitable for farmers than cocaine. There is also a new brewery in town—Parallel 49. Though it took several minutes with the waiter at my favourite pub (The Alibi Room—what a brilliant name!) to establish that the Parallel 49 stout was in fact NOT made with an infusion of 49th Parallel coffee, after enjoying a pint of the dark brew I’m convinced that despite unavoidable name Continue reading
What Do You Hope For?
Just a few weeks ago I was in Knoxville, TN and had the chance to spend a couple of hours exploring the Knoxville Area Rescue Mission‘s facilities, getting to know some of the people who make up that great organization. A kind woman named Angie showed me around the facilities, and her smile broadened as we neared a particular classroom. “This is a brand new initiative,” she explained as we walked through the double doors. “It’s called LaunchPoint, and it’s a program to help the women and men in our program identify and prioritize the things they hope for in Continue reading