“Time. Time slows down. The days, months, years…They blur together.” “We’re shut away, or we shut ourselves away. We’re ‘handled’ in groups.” “It’s the same thing for us as it is for trauma victims or older people in the outside world: We have trouble being seen, heard, or believed a lot of the time too.” “Nothing’s new, it’s all the same, and nobody’s noticing. Or rather, nobody seems to care.” ***** These quotes above are from people whose lives have intersected and blessed mine as a...

Link to Scripture: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2012%3A1-11&version=NRSVUE I am a bivocational pastor who is also a board-certified music therapist. I work in hospice when I am not working for the church. Most of my patients do not know they are dying (due to dementia), but their families do. Frequently, the families share their hopes, concerns, and grief with me. We forget that Jesus had friends and disciples; his talking about his upcoming death would concern anyone....

Link to Scripture: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Philippians%202%3A5-11&version=NRSVUE   I grew up in the Roman Catholic tradition. I attended Catholic schools from first grade through high school. I was an altar boy in elementary school. That was considered a privileged position to serve as an assistant to the priest during the mass. Like the priests, we also wore robes. That’s heady stuff for an 11- or 12-year-old. I especially remember serving as an altar boy at a...