Elsa Anders Cook
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Insistent Hope
It is the first Sunday of Advent and I sat in church. I sat in that pew with my baby bouncing on my lap to hear hope insisted upon. Maybe hope needs to come that way. Maybe it will only… Continue reading
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Grief and Parenting, Part 5678
I didn’t take my daughters to my mother’s grave. I meant to. It was something that I intended to do while we were in the area for my sister’s wedding. My brother had even asked if we could go together.… Continue reading
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Bless This Mess
In the days before my second child was born, I watched my toddler play while I flipped through the pages of Bless this Mess: A Modern Guide to Faith and Parenting in a Chaotic World. I read every word offered… Continue reading
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Ingredients for Ascension Sunday Communion
As I was trying to fall asleep last night and the baby growing inside of me was kicking my insides with every bit of strength she’s got, I realized that I had agreed to preside over communion on Sunday. I… Continue reading
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Making Things Beautiful Or What Might Otherwise Be Called Nesting
I used to paint watercolors. I was an art major in college. I thought that making things beautiful would be my life’s ambition until the overwhelming fear that I couldn’t hack it as a full time artist set in. I… Continue reading
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Ingredients for Worship in Holy Week
Though I’ve continued to write liturgy throughout the season of Lent for my lovely church here in Texas, I have completely failed to pepper my blog with any of those prayers. I managed to share semi-regular posts during Epiphany but… Continue reading
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A Service to Break Down Walls on Ash Wednesday
Sometimes cooking begins just by opening the pantry and realizing that that something delicious with peanut butter (because you mysteriously have a surplus of peanut butter) sounds really good. That’s kinda how this service came together. It all started with… Continue reading
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70,000 Words
Earlier this month, I took a Memoirs 101 online class with the Writer’s League of Texas. The instructor emphasized structure and form, both of which feel like high ideals for the random assortment of memories that are currently cobbled together… Continue reading
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Prayers for Epiphany 5C and 6C
I am blessed and honored to continue to cook up liturgical elements for worship at the United Christian Church in Austin. Admittedly, it feels like I haven’t been in the kitchen in a very long time. I’m editing more. I’m… Continue reading
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Grief in the Midst of Joy
In just four days, it’ll be thirty-two years since she died. It will be thirty-two years since my mother died. I have to pull out a calculator every year to subtract from the current year. Surely, it hasn’t been that… Continue reading
Cooking with Elsa 