Drew Downs

Make a New Normal

Church

  • A little while ago Deborah Bryan, a blogger friend who writes at The Monster in Your Closet invited contributions to a series she called “Oh, Yes I Did!” The series is an opportunity for people to tell a story of overcoming adversity, particularly when you’re told you can’t do it. You should read her own words on…

  • There is a simple test for dishonesty. You’ve been told to look for nonverbal cues: the other person is nervous or doesn’t blink. That stuff. You’ve even been told how to catch a lie in an email. But I’ve got a better measuring stick for dishonesty. When you are talking with someone, notice whether or not their sharing…

  • In this week’s Question + Response for St. Paul’s, I explore the pressing question of what is Easter, really: that one Sunday, the season, or is it something way bigger than that? Easter is our favorite. Many of us like Christmas, too. But Easter takes the cake. A born Jesus is nothing compared with a…

  • In the Wilds

    a homily for Advent 2A Text: Matthew 3:1-12 In the wilderness, a hero As our story begins, it says John “appeared in the wilderness.” Other verbs would convey motion: John walked, wandered, or made his way. Our verb “appeared” lacks motion: he was not—then he was. John appeared, like an apparition, it seems from nothing.…

  • a homily for Proper 28C Text: Luke 21:5-19 Encountering Jesus’s Mission Jesus ends the teaching at the Temple and begins to leave with his closest followers by saying some pretty tough words. Listen: In the hearing of all the people he said to the disciples, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in…

  • The church is failing our daughters and one thing can change that: we make their well-being a priority. Because right now, we aren’t. We claim love, diversity, equality, faith, commitment, responsibility, duty, honor, respect and so much more are our values, and we do a lot of good things. But what is our greatest priority?…