Stan and Kim in Cuba

Prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Traditionally, those are the three spiritual practices associated with cuaresma (the Lenten season). I have been thinking a lot lately about how seeing these three practices through a Cuban lens could be transformative for our context as church in the US. Here are some thoughts on ways to re-imagine the disciplines during these forty days of renewal and preparation for Holy Week and Easter: First, prayer. I have spent a lot of time in recent years learning how to engage in "centering prayer," a contemplative way to listen to God and deepen relationships with the Holy. But, given our social location in the US as the "center" of the world with our superpower status, maybe we don't really need any more "centering." What if we spent forty days in "de-centering" prayer, a contemplative practice that would move us to the margins? Here's an idea of what such a prayer practice might involve: If English is your fir...

When Stan and I returned to the United States on December 20, 2020, we found ourselves again confronted with culture shock.  This is not a surprise for us, as we have had to do it in our comings and goings over the years.  However, this time it was a bit more challenging. First, we did not choose to return. Our request for another year’s residency card was denied. We believe that we will be able to return this coming year but on shorter term visas. However, we returned feeling a bit ripped from our hearts as we had many things we wanted to do there during the final days of Advent, Christmas, New Year’s and Epiphany.  However, it was a comfort to be able to reconnect with family and friends in North Carolina during this holiday time. Second, the temperatures were bitterly cold for us coming from a tropical climate. I began to put on three shirts, a sweater, a jacket, two pairs of socks and sometimes a hat. And all that was just inside the house!  We also had snow on C...