All That You Have Is Your Soul

February 16, 2024.Reading time 11 minutes.

It’s now more than a week past Tracy Chapman’s incredible performance at this year’s Grammy Awards Show. I can’t stop thinking about it. And it’s reminded me of my favorite Tracy Chapman song. Most people’s favorite is likely the big hit she performed at the Grammy’s. But mine has always been “All That You Have […]

Joy at the Joy of Tracy Chapman

February 5, 2024.Reading time 18 minutes.

I want to circle back to a theme that clearly resonated with people in my post on Taylor Swift/Travis Kelce last week. It’s a concept I’ve come to now understand has a name: “Freudenfreude.” Loosely defined as:“Taking joy/pleasure in other people’s joy or pleasure.” It’s a concept defined as the linguistic opposite of “Schadenfreude.”“Taking pleasure […]

“Give the People What They Want”

January 27, 2024.Reading time 12 minutes.

We saw the “Tina Turner Musical” this week, and a brief moment of the narrative has stayed with me, touched me deeply, and seems to speak deep truth about our need to be entertained, and perhaps even our continued fascination with Donald Trump. I know, that’s a lot. You might think the Trump association has […]

Reflecting on “The Whale”

March 14, 2023.Reading time 16 minutes.

Is it possible to have differing, but equally valid, moral and ethical positions on the film “The Whale?” I sure hope so. I could be about to test this in what follows. Whatever your views on the film, on food, on obesity, on “fatphobia,” —that entire constellation of issues— I invite you to read this […]

“Remind Me Again…” (Thanksgiving 2022)

November 23, 2022.Reading time 15 minutes.

“Now…remind me again….which of the Beatles are still alive?” “Paul and Ringo, Mom.” It is Thanksgiving Day, one year ago tomorrow. We are at our family’s Lakehouse, and we are watching Peter Jackson’s “Get Back” documentary which has just dropped for streaming that very day. More accurately, *I* am watching the documentary, and the rest […]

Stop. Wait. Think About This.

February 26, 2020.Reading time 19 minutes.

Sometime this morning, maybe even as I write this, the “Leaning Tower of Dallas” will finally come down. (UPDATE: Obviously, the timeline is much longer now…again, reinforcing the point of this essay…EF) I’ve been captivated by our fascination with this wreck of a wreck ever since it happened a week ago. I always love metaphor, […]

“Be the Dog On A Walk”

January 10, 2020.Reading time 10 minutes.

One of the most important life lessons Dennise and I have ever learned, we learned from our dog. The lesson is: “Be the Dog On a Walk.” We learned this lesson observing our dog, Daisy. And I should describe it by first describe the opposite… “Daisy in the yard…” When Daisy is in the * […]

A Rock Hammer, Not Resolutions

January 1, 2019.Reading time 9 minutes.

One of my favorite films is “The Shawshank Redemption.” And as the year “turns,” I am thinking about that film, about its lead character, and about a concept I write about almost every year at this time: “Resolve to Not Resolve.” The film was based on the short story by Stephen King, called “Rita Hayworth […]

“Faith > Fear,” My Final Sermon at Northaven

June 25, 2018.Reading time 31 minutes.

Text/Video of my final sermon at Northaven UMC, Dallas.  June 24, 2018  Mark 4: 37-40  “Gale-force winds arose, and waves crashed against the boat so that the boat was swamped. But Jesus was in the rear of the boat, sleeping on a pillow. They woke him up and said, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re […]