writing Archives – Page 30 of 31

Evening Prayer

On March 11, 2012

Seek him who made the Pleiades and Orion, and turns deep darkness into the morning, and darkens the day into night; who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out upon the surface of the earth: The Lord is his name.
Amos 5:8

Faith

Over the past several years I’ve kind of fallen in love with the tradition of Evening Prayer. It’s somewhat rare–when I was in Chicago two weeks ago, for instance, none of the downtown Episcopal churches nearby offered it–but Trinity Episcopal here in Statesville, where I am a member, has taken it up as a Lenten offering and schedules prayer service throughout the weeks leading up to Easter. The services are all led by laypeople, and I usually sign up to lead once a week or so.

It’s quickly become one of the greatest sanctuaries I’ve ever had in my spiritual life.

The church is purposefully darkened for this end of day service. I usually turn on only a few lights. I keep a candle on the podium by which to read and light a candle on either side of the altar. There’s no music, only scripture and prayer.

Dear Teacher | I’m Sorry

By James D. Hogan

On February 1, 2012

In writing

EDUCATION

Dear Teacher,

Sometimes I wonder if the words “I’m sorry” are what people want you to say. By people, I mean the ardent critics complaining that tax-payers should stop wasting money or–my favorite expression–throwing money at problems in the classroom, and instead ask educators to live within the means of a shrunken state budget. The ones who suggest that you’re not working hard enough, that you need to prove your worth as teachers before you earn more money. Meanwhile, it’s just you, the thirty-four kids assigned to your classroom every block, and an email from your principal reminding you that at the rate it’s going, your school will be devoid of copy paper within five weeks.

I’m writing you today to ask you to never apologize.

Blackbirds

By James D. Hogan

On January 22, 2012

In writing

WRITING

The smoke was back. There it was, off in the distance, this time over a field. It had moved. And, in another second, gone.

This week I had the lonely task of driving I-40 east from Memphis to Little Rock, a long, straight, and empty highway that stretches away from the Mississippi River. There, the land is flat. The road is simple. The sight lines afford views north and south until the tree lines interrupt them.

It’s empty here, mostly farmland, and the only elevations noticeable are the berms built up to allow for an overpass. Water collects in simple reservoirs for irrigation.

Ahead of my rental Chevrolet, pointed straight until it found the hills of Little Rock, I saw on the horizon what I thought at first must be a cloud–or perhaps, more accurately, a puff–of dark smoke. It didn’t act like smoke, though, given how it blew sideways across the interstate. The speed wasn’t right. Something was off.

Then, just as I blinked, the entire cloud disappeared. I thought I was in trouble, imagining things or worse, hallucinating, while driving out in the middle of nowhere. Immediately I tried to think back to what time I woke up that morning in Memphis, how much sleep I’d had, whether it was possible I was dreaming–

The smoke was back. There it was, off in the distance, this time over a field. It had moved. And, in another second, gone.

Category: writing Page 30 of 31

Evening Prayer

Seek him who made the Pleiades and Orion, and turns deep darkness into the morning, and darkens the day into night; who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out upon the surface of the earth: The Lord is his name.

Faith

Dear Teacher | I’m Sorry

EDUCATION

Dear Teacher,

Blackbirds

WRITING

The smoke was back. There it was, off in the distance, this time over a field. It had moved. And, in another second, gone.