I am planting a thousand seeds in my garden/Rows and rows of plants incubating and burrowing their roots deep intoBrooklyn soil as the winter chill wanes into an April spring

Dust with so much potential,beautiful and impenetrable as diamond,

Consider the sacred role of desire in worship. Imagine what an abundant life-- a life you desire-- looks like, feels like, tastes like. This is an invitation to reflect on and seek rest in the promise that abundant life is in fact Love's own desire for you.

In this devotional, as we challenge the line of sacred and profane, I offer up poetry and narratives about finding sacredness in pornography. This topic will shut out some people as they enter with past trauma. I want to acknowledge the profanity in pornography. It can cause harm because of the warped views of gender, sexuality, and race, as well as economic, social, mental, and physical issues that derive from its consumption. I define sacredness as unveiling wholeness, and hold space for those whose wholeness is not unveiled through pornography.

There are few words to exude the deep sorrow and lament that come out of seeing a continuous barrage of gun-violence related news across the news headlines and our daily lives.

Is it tainted worshipif my earthly mouthoffers praises in thecolonizer’s tongue?

These are the opening words to the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, a popular Chinese novel dating to the 14th century and was attributed to the playwright Luo Guangzhong. Indeed, these words prove to be a prophetic summary to the history of China, a history oscillating between deep divisions that enabled corruption to fester in society, and oppressive unities that purchased oneness at the price of warfare and policing.

Wherever I sit, whatever I eat, whatever I do with my hands this day, may I become more aware of my own limitations and the expansiveness of God’s power.

Recently, I have come to realize that breathing is not easy. When I scurry to catch the train, I move quickly and breathe shortly. During tense and difficult conversations, my breathing is neither steady nor relaxed. When I think about my to-do list, the steady rhythm of my breathing quickens. When I watch a movie or read a book, I often hold my breath in anticipation. When I climb up many flights of stairs to get to my apartment, I am out of breath. For me, breathing properly in my daily routine has been difficult.