“What I hope to do all the time is to be so completely myself, to be so much myself that my audiences and even people who meet me are confronted when they – oh wow! they’re confronted with what I am inside and out, as honest as I can be. And this way they have to see things about themselves, …
St. Ida B. Wells-Barnett
In times like these – and I don’t think I need to explain that phrase; you know what I mean – there is a lot of angst about how to move forward. Certainly, political change is necessary and political change can really only happen through compromise, by building coalitions around points of agreement and choosing to ignore points of disagreement. …
St. Maria Montessori
When we hear the name Montessori, we probably think of hippy parents with children running wild. The questions I’ve heard from many parents when considering how to start their children in school are usually around command and control: Don’t they need to learn discipline? How will I get them to listen to me? How will I get them to do …
St. John Henry Faulk
I have listened to David Marquis wax nostalgic about John Henry Faulk for years, so it was a joy this past Sunday to honor David’s friend and mentor as a saint of Church in the Cliff. By the time we reach All Saints Day this year, we will have canonized twenty people. I daresay none will have received such a …
St. Molly Ivins
I confess, though I do not repent, that my study of, interest in, and presentation of saints is somewhat academic. Book knowledge holds great power for me. I’m affected by it. There is also the fact that I could not have known Joe Strummer or Dorothy Day, much less Teresa, Francis, Sergius, or Bacchus. So I gather and present information …
St. Joe Strummer
This week, we honor St. Joe Strummer, the guitarist and lyricist for seminal punk bands, the 101ers and the Clash. His later career with the Mescaleros was equally rich. Perhaps this is a selfish choice. Paul and I are just huge fans. We never miss an opportunity to include one of Joe’s songs in our services. It is not difficult …
St. Dorothy Day
As we are quickly hurtling toward All Saints Day, it is time for the 2nd annual Church in the Cliff canonization of saints. Each year, we select a few people who exemplify something that we understand about ourselves as a church. Like the Catholic Church, our saints must be dead and must have performed miracles. Of course, we’re a little …