Elsa Anders Cook
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Ready, Willing and Able for Peace
We were told that there would be booms. It was one of the first things that we were told about our new home. We’ll hear the booms, they said. Booms that shouldn’t frighten us or cause alarm, but are simply… Continue reading
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How to Pray Before Giving Birth
This afternoon, after church was over, I finished Rabbi Harold S. Kushner’s international bestseller When Bad Things Happen to Good People. It might seem like an odd book to pick off the shelf for a woman who is expecting to… Continue reading
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Cooking Freezer Meals Before the Baby Arrives
Though it feels incredibly hard to believe, our little bundle of joy is due in a mere five weeks. I’m ready for her to get here already. This last month of pregnancy is no joke and I’m ready to be… Continue reading
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Character: Essays by readers
Some time ago, the Christian Century invited readers to submit first-person narratives (under 1,000 words) reflecting on the word character. They are requesting essays from readers on other words in the future, but it was to this one that I wanted to respond.… Continue reading
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Spirituality for the Resistance
I have not felt like an activist in years. In truth, I’m not sure that I ever really felt like an activist even though ministry called for it. I couldn’t faithfully preach the gospel on Sunday without taking to the… Continue reading
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Back to Writing
When my beloved and I decided that we were going to do this thing, we were going to move across country and make a life together, I knew that I wouldn’t be in full time ministry anymore. I would leave… Continue reading
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Waves of Grief after Waves of Nausea
Grief is my constant companion. It is there every day and every moment even when there is a smile plastered to my face. Sometimes I choose not to acknowledge it. I don’t want it to dominate and there are still… Continue reading
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10 Observations for Right Now
It seems to me that there are so many great teachers out there. It’s why TED is so popular. There are just so many people that are pulsing with wisdom and creativity. It isn’t a select few that have these… Continue reading
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Recipe for Gratitude
Many congregations, including the one that I am working with right now as a consultant, care for their members by putting in the mail cards full of love and support when someone has fallen ill or is bereaved. Some congregations… Continue reading
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Prayers for Palm and Passion Sunday
Years ago, when I was still pastoring in Maine and also writing liturgy for the United Church of Christ’s Worship Ways, I wanted to find some way to honor both Palm Sunday and Passion Sunday. The church was accustomed to… Continue reading
