Free Stuff
My sheet music and other free resources are available here. Just follow this link.
These things are under a Creative Commons license that allows you to download them and copy them freely—for any non-commercial use.
Enjoy!
Store
I have books, CDs, and a video series for sale from my store page. (I wish I could just give everything away, but one must eat!)
I’m especially excited about my new book, now available: My Burden Is Light: A Pastor’s Plea for Rationality, Honesty, and Humility.
About
Merry, Mystical Missives
Here you’ll find everything I’ve sent out to the mailing list for The Merry Mystic.
My Old Stomping Grounds
After weeks of packing, driving, and unpacking—you wouldn’t believe how many U-haul truckloads it took!—my family and I have moved back to my old home town of Princeton, Illinois. This is the town where I went to high school, and where my wife and I met and married, so of all the places I’ve lived, this is the one that feels most like home.
And, well, moving is hell! I’m sore all over, we’re still something less than half unpacked, and I haven’t had time to write anything new for you all. Nevertheless, it’s good to be back on my old stomping grounds. On Sunday, I didn’t go to church—my own work as pastor of the Open Prairie United Church of Christ here won’t start until December. Instead, I went to pray at a little park where, in former days, I spent a lot of time talking to God.
In this issue of The Merry Mystic, I wanted to share my old stomping grounds with you.
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Samhain Song
Samhain is the old Gaelic festival that lies behind many of our modern Halloween customs. In this video, I talk a little about Samhain, and I share a new song about it.
Here’s the text of that song. (It’s actually from the last chapter of my fantasy romance, The Pastor and the Priestess.)
Samhain Song The anxious fear, the fevered dream, The ghostly moan, the primal scream, The cold that grips us in the night -- The dance around the fire’s light, To banish fear from hill and dale. For love can see beyond the veil, And glimpse, behind the graven gloom, A hidden heat, a hopeful beat, The fertile darkness of the womb. The foolish, haunted, hating heart, That tries to tear the world apart, And plans and plots to bitter ends -- The circled power of our friends, That over evil will prevail. For love can see beyond the veil, And glimpse, behind the graven gloom, A hidden heat, a hopeful beat, The fertile darkness of the womb. The doubt that steals away the will, The gloomy fears that self-fulfill, The wariness to take a chance -- The spirit pleading, Come and dance, And never be afraid to fail. For love can see beyond the veil, And glimpse, behind the graven gloom, A hidden heat, a hopeful beat, The fertile darkness of the womb. The memory of days gone by, The falling tear, the heavy sigh, The burden of the loss we bear -- The new adventure waiting there, Where love-light leads us down the trail. For love can see beyond the veil, And glimpse, behind the graven gloom, A hidden heat, a hopeful beat, The fertile darkness of the womb!
Longing for the Deep Peace
This past month, my spiritual practice has been shot to hell. Oh, I’ve prayed frequently—but briefly and distractedly. Have you ever just sat in the presence of God, or just taken a walk in God’s company, and wholly escaped the passage of time? Have you ever surfaced from deep reverie to notice—how odd!—that the sun has set, or the sun has risen? I have, but not this month!
In fact, I’m embarrassed to confess that my life right now is just totally berserk with work. I’m helping put on a play this month, as performer, accompanist, lighting and sound designer, you name it. And I’m preparing to start a new job, and to move my extended family next month. It seems to be one of those seasons when there just aren’t enough hours in every day.
Anyway, there certainly weren’t enough hours to squeeze out any new work for The Merry Mystic this week! Instead, I took some comfort today in listening to this old song of mine. This was The Merry Mystic in May of 2016. I hope you’ll find this re-run as comforting as I did.
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May you be blessed today with deep peace: the deep peace of the running wave, the deep peace of the flowing air, the deep peace of the quiet earth, the deep peace of the shining stars—the deep peace of the Prince of Peace.
Midwives of Hope
In the legend of Moses’ birth (Exodus 1:15-2:10), there are two official midwives: Shiphrah and Puah. Then there are three other women who, in their different ways, also help bring hope into the world: Moses’ birth mother, his sister, and his adoptive mother. Here’s a new hymn celebrating their work, and the work of all midwives everywhere.
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Sheet music for “Midwives of Hope” is in our Free Stuff area.
These are the (mostly video) messages sent out to The Merry Mystic mailing list.
Sermons and Such
Every week, I preach in the Open Prairie United Church of Christ in Princeton, Illinois. I’m not sending most of these out to The Merry Mystic mailing list; but on the outside chance you’d like to see a sermon, here they are.
Taking the Adventure
Advent isn’t entirely about comfort and joy; it’s also about preparing ourselves to “take the adventure that comes,” as C.S. Lewis put it.
Live Urgently
The world is not about to come to an end … but sometimes, we could use a good apocalyptic kick in the pants.
The Lord’s (Shared) Supper
Sometimes, a crumb of white bread and a sip of juice seems like a poor representation of the flavorful abundance of Jesus.
In Your Face, Winter!
This Sunday, we decorated the church and shared stories of beloved family ornaments. Then I preached this brief sermon on decorating with lights.
Who Jesus Is to Me
On the last Sunday of the church year, Christ the King Sunday, I opened my service with this reflection, song, and hymn. It’s about Jesus, but (spoiler alert!) it isn’t about Christ the King.
We Didn’t Start the Fire
I’m not usually a fan of the apocalyptic writings in the Bible. But if you’re feeling out-of-control anxiety and a powerless rage against injustice, maybe it’s time for you to get in touch with your inner apocalypticist.
Much More Important
Here’s something that’s much more important than anything else in our religious tradition. (Even more important than whole burnt offerings.)
Of Poetry and Prophecy
I don’t believe in biblical prophecy—or any other kind of prophecy. What I do believe in is the power of biblical poetry.
Yes, There Is Such Thing as a Dumb Question
I used to reassure my students that it was okay to ask questions. “There’s no such thing as a dumb question,” I would say. Obviously, I was wrong.
A Helper as His Partner
Here’s a sermon in honor of John Shelby Spong, who passed away last month at the age of 90. It deals with one of the passages he cites as a “terrible text” from Genesis: the story of the creation of Eve to be Adam’s helper.