DrDeaconDog

Ashes. I scatter them. They slip away from cold-numbed finger tips. It is winter. Nothing grows in winter—does it? Ashes to ashes. Dust to dust. But the kitchen fire warms my hands. Its ashes make nutritious things grow. We are ashes; our lives seem sometimes to slip through our fingers. We are also formed from good, dark hummus—the earth. We are dust. Placed in God’s garden “to till it and to…

Virtual worship. What an unusual and intriguing phrase, one that has made its way into my everyday vocabulary. Covid-19 has not been able to stop faith communities from worshiping together in spirit and truth–in safe and socially distanced ways. Zoom worship windows, Facebook watch parties, YouTube gatherings, and more have become sacred spaces. And I am impressed and energized by the diverse…

An Easter REsurrection Reflection Risen.See? The tomb is empty.A stone rolled away.A hollow husk. Risen.See? This emptiness fills us.We taste “alleluia” on parched lips,praise springs forth. Risen. Risen. Risen. What does a stone rolling away sound like? Love. The laughter of one set free. Joyful weeping.  Unburied alleluias.  God of hollowed-out husks and empty tombs, We’ve heard the…

A Good Friday Reflection “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” Luke 23:46 The realities of our lives—All that we read about in the news or see happening around us:EconomicPoliticalSpiritualTo whatTo whomdo we commit these things? “Father, into your hands I commend my Spirit.” The things we value—love—hold dearTo whose hands do we entrust these things. It is a part of life. We hand…

Words Are Like Turtles

A new semester has begun! As a teacher this semester, I am excited about reading the written work of my students. I know from past experience how many wonderful insights, questions, and big ideas surface from mysterious depths as students craft reflections and essays. I celebrate the gifts that await our shared discovery, springtime gifts just beneath the surface, soon to shoulder their way up…

Rock Us into Joy

Virtual worship. What an unusual and intriguing phrase, one that has made its way into my everyday vocabulary. Covid-19 has not been able to stop faith communities from worshiping together in spirit and truth–in safe and socially distanced ways. Zoom worship windows, Facebook watch parties, YouTube gatherings, and more have become sacred spaces.

And I am impressed and energized by the diverse…

A Ginkgo at Thanksgiving

The Ginkgo tree is considered a “living fossil,” unchanged in two million years. Ginkgo trees are survivors. A-bombed ginkgo trees (sometimes called Maidenhair trees) still grow in Hiroshima. I am thankful for Ginkgo tree people who stand true through this world’s injustices to bring beauty and hope.

She lulled me onto her honeyed dance floor butterfly fans swirling sun-kissed before twirling  …

A Prayer for Our Times

Honored to write and breathe a bilingual prayer in partnership with my Spirit-sister, Reverend Maria Teresa Jones.

God who breathed into firstborn soil the breath of life, your Spirit exhales and fragrances us– our communities, our wounds, our hiding places, our bodies and souls –with the honeyed aromas of your mercy, justice, and grace.

Breathe on us now, O God.

Season us– our footsteps our…

During a week when many people are snapping their annual first day of school photos, another photo is seared into my heart’s eye. The headline? “Shooting of Jacob Blake reenergizes nationwide protests over police brutality.”

I want to know how to end white supremacy and stop the violence.

One conclusion I’ve reached is this. We–and in particular we white people–need to listen in a way we…

My new book, Thrive: How professionals 55 and over can get unstuck and renew their lives, is available now.

Get your copy here!

You can learn more about the book in the short video clip below. This book emerged from my participation in Joshua Sprague’s 30 Day Book Writing Challenge.

Thanks to Sheila G. Hunter for the…

I am excited to announce my new author website. Check it out!

https://jillcrainshaw.com

I am grateful to all who follow “Salt,” and I plan to continue posting some content here. I also hope you will subscribe to “Savor.” I will be blogging there and adding other content about life’s seasons and seasonings.

So many of you who follow Salt have inspired me with your own posts. What a…

Professing Black Lives Matter

I grew up in a Lutheran church. We professed our faith by saying confessions and creeds. I am a Presbyterian now. We profess our faith through confessions and creeds too.

I am also a professor. What do I profess as one who teaches in higher education?

to profess

The word “profess” comes from the Latin professusand means to declare openly or make a public statement. It means to speak,…

NEW podcast episode – De-Centering Our Whiteness: Jill Crainshaw (@wakediv)

What will it take to teach toward racial justice and away from white supremacy? Thinking about ways to incorporate minoritized voices into the entire curriculum. https://t.co/REftuKmQid pic.twitter.com/AuvfwqySUb

— Wabash Center (@WabashTeaches) June 8, 2020

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In Spirit and Truth

To My White Friends,

We can be horrified. And we should be. We can be appalled. Sad. Angry. Frightened. We can feel all the emotions. We can confess and pray.

None of that by itself will lead to change. We have to persevere. See transformation all the way through—as long as it takes—until justice and freedom are real for every person.

We’ve stopped short too many times. Breathed a sigh of…

White supremacy is evil. Racism is a sin. Do not our hearts burn within us?

A White Christian’s prayer

Pentecost fires are burning this week.

I hope the fires burn away my apathy as a white Christian in a racist society. I hope my malaise burns away too. I hope I do not turn my face away from the flames.

Pentecost fires remind me of other biblical fires.

“Did not our hearts burn within us?” the disciples on the road to Emmaus asked. They thought they were…

Do Not Our Hearts Burn Within Us?

A White Christian’s prayer

Pentecost fires are burning this week.

I hope the fires burn away my apathy as a white Christian in a racist society. I hope my malaise burns away too. I hope I do not turn my face away from the flames.

Pentecost fires remind me of other biblical fires.

“Did not our hearts burn within us?” the disciples on the road to Emmaus asked. They thought they were…