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about remembering
Originally posted on Teri McDowell Ott: I remember getting out of bed in the morning to muscles that didn’t ache and joints that did not crack and pop. I remember being able to see without the thick-lensed glasses I fumble for on my bed stand. I remember not needing a minute to loosen up, my…
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The Artist and the Art: A Theological Relationship
Sometimes, when I feel creatively dry, I venture over to our college’s art gallery in search of inspiration. Yesterday morning I made this excursion with Abraham Joshua Heschel’s Essential Writings tucked under my arm. Upon entering the gallery I paused first to scan through the binder that held the resumes and statements of the artists.…
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Praying for my Community
I pray before every faculty meeting here at my college. In this prayer, I seek to name the needs of my community. The rhythm of the academic world is unusual–a blazing fast pace throughout the year, with some halting, long breaks in between. Here, about two months into our first semester, we are already growing…
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The Way I Share My Soul with the World
Today is International Podcast Day—another one of those random “days” that I would not have known about had it not been for Twitter. Generally, #podcastday would not have mattered to me had I not wanted to blog about a new podcast I recently discovered. I’ve been listening to Elizabeth Gilbert’s Magic Lessons whenever I can.…
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Writing Misery Loves Company
As a deadline looms on a new project, I have reached the end of the writing honeymoon when the fun of creating turns into the slog of hard, hard work. It is a miserable place to be–a place where self-doubt and the fear of inadequacy reign. So tonight I have gone in search of some…
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The Practice of Doing Nothing: How I Stopped Fueling my Stress
I caught myself getting overwhelmed tonight. I’d been distracting myself from my stress all day long—running from meeting to meeting, answering emails, sending emails, moving from one uncompleted task on my desk to the next. When I finally got home and needed to focus on my children, though, I no longer had the energy to…
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The Hard Work of Welcoming
I have three fantastic student interns this year who are learning about the hard work of welcoming. At our college’s Presbyterian House we host a “Dinner and Devotion” program every Sunday that we advertise as “All Students Welcome.” Of course, not all students feel welcome attending a religious and spiritual life program, unless you work…
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What do I believe?
What do I believe? I oftentimes forget what I believe, until I stop to ask. People may assume I have my beliefs all figured out, given my profession as clergy. But I could ask myself this question every day. And every day the answer might be different. Some days I don’t ask at all, which…
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Pulpit Courage
I have been thinking lately about Dr. Brad Braxton’s comment that “the American pulpit could use a healthy dose of courage” as I contemplate two upcoming sermons. I wholeheartedly agree with Dr. Braxton, but my inner editor is already shooting off warning flares about some of the things I plan to say. This Sunday I…
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It is Solved by Walking, or Stair Climbing
Last week I had no idea what to blog about until I went to the gym. After ten minutes on the stair climber, I had my idea. Fifteen minutes later on the elliptical trainer I had Three Lessons from a Productive Summer outlined in a note-taking app on my cell phone. Actually, I had ten…
Teri McDowell Ott 