Author Archives: admin

Not far along the road from Houston to Austin, the Texas countryside unwinds in gentle undulations that welcome you to the American West. The pace of life slows, and the division between the land and its inhabitants blurs. It is … Continue reading →

  For scale, note Thaddeus to the right of the lamp post in the lower left of this picture. There is little subtle about Joel Osteen’s Lakewood church. The church convenes in the stadium that was once home to the … Continue reading →

On January 10, 1901, the Lucas gusher blew oil 150 feet into the air above Spindletop Hill near Beaumont, TX. The frenzy that followed began the Texas Oil Boom and forever changed the history of the region and the United … Continue reading →

  A lot of great encounters slip through the cracks on this trip. I suppose that is a product of steady movement. Still, I would hate to neglect some encounters entirely. During my New Orleans pause, I had one such … Continue reading →

There is something delicately humbling about the motion that brings the ashen cross to my forehead. Maybe it is because my forehead rarely receives the touch of a fingertip. Maybe it’s the sensation of minute, deliberate lines in separate axes—first … Continue reading →

You might not believe it, but Mardi Gras 2012 was a source of spiritual growth for me. I know—the terms Mardi Gras and spiritual growth seem mutually exclusive. Folks interested in spiritual issues don’t often associate themselves with Carnival, and … Continue reading →

For the past nine months, I have dedicated a great deal of time and energy to promotion Sabbath. I have emphasized this term in my blog, in every dialogue at every church I’ve visited, and in every aspect of my … Continue reading →

There is no city in the world like New Orleans. Yes, Havana and Salvador have similarly crumbling buildings and living musical heritage. But New Orleans is attached to a country whose affluence often renders such qualities innocuous. We keep culture … Continue reading →

Anyway you slice it, John “Shorty” and Patti Sneed of Gulfport, Mississippi have a lot to teach us. By profession, Shorty is involved in the insurance business, and Patti has recently retired from her position as choir director and organist … Continue reading →

White sand and warm air. Friendly faces and hushed strangers. It’s a fresh round of adventures for the Carbon Sabbath. The cast is diverse: Orthodox, Evangelical, Jesuit, and Baptist churches and a visit to a L’Arche community. A taste of … Continue reading →