Posts by John Blase

One Easter Sunday several years ago I saw a portly man wearing a t-shirt with a black and white image of Jesus on water skis above the words – HE’S UP! Rather than take offense, as some christians simply itch to daily do, I found the image caused me to grin and recall the reason…

One Easter Sunday several years ago I saw a portly man wearing a t-shirt with a black and white image of Jesus on water skis above the words – HE’S UP! Rather than take offense, as some christians simply itch to daily do, I found the image caused me to grin and recall the reason…

It was as if God’s fountain pen busted Because all its black ink suddenly stained   The evening sky. The front was blowing in. In those same moments hidden from view   A trumpet blew proud and mournful notes Wild with dream. A band student practicing.   And I thought of you and your holy…

I sent you the link to the rare Mary Oliver Interview in hopes her wild voice and Silky words would inspire you to write. I knew she’d wooed your mind when You began texting me quote after quote You’d copied down, this one your favorite – I SAW WHAT LOVE MIGHT HAVE DONE IF WE…

Calm yourself. Listen. What you’ll hear is the sound of a world you did not make but have been invited to join. If you hear innocence then you’re still not listening for this is not an innocent place. But once you hear the singing of underground miners picking toward the prize then you know you’re…

He raised his hand to make the sign of the cross but after touching his forehead his hand fell limp. No breastbone, no left shoulder then right. He was too weak. He died later that day. This had a profound effect upon the young priest, this passing of his father in weakness.   At first…

A little money was put aside now and then. Not for children or wife or the future. Just for me. My goal was to pool enough to purchase a costly watch, the kind you buy once and wear until you die then pass to one who lives on. This extravagance would be far beyond what…

Forget everyone else. Consider yourself. Gather up all your leftovers. Your baskets full of should-have-been. Bring them to a still place late on a clear day. Give thanks for it all. You will feel like a fool and you may well be. Give it anyway. You will leave dissatisfied. But you will have witnessed the…

An angel was there with a wicker creel to collect the heads. He was told there would be a number but twenty-one sons was more than a number. The angel was tempted to drop   his creel and draw his sword and save every mother’s love. But he had his orders. He stayed his hand.…

All we Baptists knew was that Lent was some misspelling of  what you pulled out of the dryer so your clothes would get good and dry. But while we may not have known the letter of liturgy we possessed its spirit for about this time every year we’d begin to stay late after mid-week prayer…