God's seal of approval
I do a lot of nodding and listening in my line of work. For the most part, this is confined to my office, but every once in a while, I...
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ASK ME FOR A BLESSING
God's grace is meant to be shared
Apr 13, 20192 min read
No takers AND a dog peed on my sign
It’s rare that I get fewer than five people who ask for a blessing during my stint on the sidewalk. I’ve been doing this roughly once a...
Mar 26, 20192 min read
Don't forget Margaret!
Last year a woman walking her dog stopped to tell me there’s a ghost in my church named Margaret. She couldn’t give me any details except...
Mar 9, 20192 min read
Ashes for the grumpy
I got the idea for this ministry from Ashes to Go, when clergy and laypeople alike offer ashes outdoors, rather than inside the church,...
Feb 21, 20193 min read
Scarf? Stole? Same difference.
“I like your scarf!” She was referring to my stole. It’s the long piece of fabric that priests where around their necks and that hangs...
Jan 25, 20192 min read
Grace or gimmick?
As I’ve written before, I rarely get snide remarks in this ministry. One of these rare moments occurred a few months ago when a very...
Jan 11, 20192 min read
Travel companions against trafficking
Today is National Human Trafficking Awareness Day. As I once told a man who asked for a blessing, anti-trafficking work is a cause close...
Dec 29, 20182 min read
No bother
One prayer request I frequently get is for guidance from God. Someone is at a crossroads, is not sure whether to stay in a relationship,...
Nov 30, 20182 min read
Bursting into tears
“I’m an atheist. My girlfriend is a Christian. And we can’t even talk about religion without her bursting into tears. Can you help?” ...
Oct 30, 20182 min read
Exposed by the light
I haven’t been at this ministry long, but long enough to have noticed a recent trend. I’m hearing from more and more women about sexual...
Sep 14, 20182 min read
Eucharistic famine
Last week, I had two people back-to-back tell me they’d left church for 10 plus years. One had returned a few years ago, and one was...
Aug 9, 20182 min read
A string of sacredness
My church isn’t far from a hospital, so I sometimes get people on their way there for treatment, or a procedure, or to visit a loved one....
Jul 27, 20182 min read
Prayer changes things; prayer changes us
Earlier this week, I was walking near Herald Square (always a busy part of Manhattan) and came upon a group of people wearing red aprons...
Jul 5, 20182 min read
Walking hearts
One of the most common prayer requests I receive is that of parents seeking prayer for their children. Children who are sick or stressed,...
Jun 12, 20182 min read
A bleeping blessing
My neighborhood recently had its annual street fair. This involves closing off five or six blocks along Park Avenue so that people can...
Jun 1, 20182 min read
Tattoos and testimonies
Every once in a while, someone stops to share a powerful spiritual story with me. Often the person doesn’t identify as Christian, or...
May 17, 20182 min read
Phone it in (but in a good way)
Occasionally I get an email from someone who found me through this blog. The subject line will read “please pray for me” or something...
May 4, 20182 min read
Divine appointments
Do you ever run into someone unexpectedly, have a surprisingly meaningful conversation, and just know it wasn’t a coincidence? Those...
Apr 19, 20181 min read
Praise reports and lattes
This past week, I had the pleasant surprise of seeing and hearing from people I hadn't blessed in months. One stopped to tell me that my...
Mar 30, 20182 min read
Losing loved ones and Good Friday
“My friend died and I’m having a hard time.” “My wife just had a miscarriage.” “Today is the one-year anniversary of my father’s...
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