Thoughts on a Postmodern Faith

The Secrets We Leave Behind (or, Crossing the Sierra Nevada)

by Shawn May 15, 2012
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We prepare to leave the small campground outside of San Francisco. The old couple from the neighboring RV comes over to our bus to talk. The wife is direct and assertive and eager to say that when she first pulled up and saw we had four children, her heart sank. But she gushes over the [...]

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Our Daughters: Corner Pillars or Shapely Wildflowers?

by Shawn May 12, 2012
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My daughter Lucy pulls herself up into the top bunk in the hallway of the bus and pulls the shade. Later, I peek my face in and ask her what she’s up to. But at first she doesn’t hear me – her face is intent on her next drawing. In the corner of her bunk [...]

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The Disease that Spreads Through Facebook

by Shawn May 10, 2012

Facebookthreadinfluentiosis: n. 1. the sickness/delusional belief that one can affect meaningful change in another human in the course of a Facebook thread, either by superior logic, snarky comments, demeaning attacks, or linking to a particularly life-changing recipe on Pinterest a. characterized by self-righteousness, argumentativeness, or the lack of understanding that Facebook users: 1. inextricably link [...]

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Don’t Be Afraid to Look Your Worst Fear in the Eye

by Shawn May 8, 2012
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The following is a guest post by my friend Kevin Haggerty. He and his wife recently bought a house and made a baby, just before the school where he worked decided to let him go. Now he’s in transition. Check it out. A couple of weeks ago, Shawn published a great post about his trepidation [...]

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Prayers That Feel Like Misplaced Correspondence

by Shawn May 5, 2012
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It’s one of those melancholy nights that come three-fourths of the way through a trip, when you’re sad that so much of the trip is behind you, and sad that you still have so far to go before getting home. The kids played at the back of the bus, Sammy’s little shout punctuating their pretend [...]

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The Life of Faith: Less Sense, Added Meaning

by Shawn May 4, 2012
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I have made some very expensive transactions on this trip. Nearly everywhere we’ve gone, I’ve gained something, and I’ve left something behind. In Virginia, we gained a kind friend who treated my kids like they were his grandchildren. He built a small fire under that southern night sky for marshmallow roasting. And I left a [...]

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Our Amish Neighbor was a Browns’ Fan

by Shawn May 2, 2012

Today I’m guest posting over at TV Asylum about how our Amish neighbor used to come watch TV with us. Here’s a little preview for you: Monday Night Football. My dad and I chilling out on the sofa with a bag of Doritoes. I was nine years old, and in 1986 it didn’t get much [...]

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