..."She could think logically in metaphysics and therefore would deal efficiently in margarine."
Indeed.

Each verse ends with ‘Saranam’ - a word in Sanskrit, Tamil, and several other South and Southeast Asian languages meaning refuge, protection, or surrender.

(more specifically, a Curonian) folk tune of “Pūt, Vējiņi” (‘Blow, oh wind’) and slightly modified it. The lyrics are adapted from Madeleine L’Engle’s A House Like a Lotus, which I encountered via Northumbria Community’s Celtic Daily Prayer.

Some interesting questions around working with what we have, and what it means to think about art in the broadest sense of the word, in the context of public worship.

I began with this wee wooden sculpture of the 'Pensive Christ', or 'The One Who Cares' - typical of Lithuanian traditional spirituality, but one Lithuanian Baptists don't generally engage with.

The Case of Lithuanian Baptists”. In William L. Pitts, Jr. (ed.), Baptists and Revivals: Papers from the Seventh International Conference on Baptist Studies (Macon: Mercer University Press, 2018), 304-323.

Those gatherings are a whole special story and represent an important part of the religious history of the region. I've explored it in several articles, including
“Revival Among the Aliens:

But, in light of various other responsibilities, it's time to take off this particular 'hat', with much gratitude, and with my best wishes to the new editor, @drkatiecross.bsky.social

And so, over the last week, I had been giving thanks for the life of this remarkable man, and now am praying for the Catholic Church as it prepares to elect its next leader.

Many years ago now, I visited the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore — little knowing that I was touching not only ancient history, but also history still to unfold.

Whatever the papal funeral may have required in terms of ceremony, his burial wishes were a beautiful illustration of his theological convictions: to be entombed in a niche that until now had been used to store candlestick holders, with no decoration and only a simple inscription, 'Franciscus'.

But for now, I find myself simply standing with those who feel surrounded by betrayal, death, and the end of all hope.