Author Archives: awtraughber

The Thread of Imagination

In yesterday’s post I mentioned some words and phrases that I’d been mulling over a little bit but hoped to mull over more this holiday weekend.  I think I’d like to start with the thread of imagination. Somewhere along the … Continue reading

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Unbusy: Non-Stop to Nothing

These last few weeks have been a reminder of the frustration that comes with being busier than you ever intended to be.  In the midst of it all came news of the death of Eugene Peterson, who has probably shaped … Continue reading

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Song for Another Leg of the Journey

A wonderful presentation of a classic song for the long road.

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Beyond Hot, Stinky Cat Dooky

There were two scenes in last week’s episode of The Good Place that were both hilarious and pertinent to some of the things that I cover in my upper level classes.  The first was “Jeremy Bearimy,” which NBC released as … Continue reading

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Closer to the Passage

The folks at FOX just released a new trailer for the January-dropping, small-screen rendition of Justin Cronin’s The Passage.  The big question in my head, as a fan of the trilogy, is how in the world they can translate the … Continue reading

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Company Under the Unpredictable Plant

I don’t remember how I found the works of Eugene Peterson, but I’m glad I did.  Peterson joined Tozer, Bonhoeffer, and Buechner in what I would call the first reading trajectory that took me beyond what was popular at the … Continue reading

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“In Pleasant Places”

This week the Daily Office has had readings from the Book of Sirach, which is a little beyond the usual for me.  So I’ve been doing the reading from the book of Psalms instead.  Reading Psalm 16, which I hadn’t … Continue reading

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Jeremy Bearimy, Indeed

The Good Place on NBC went to a great place with this week’s episode.  So great that I would show the entire episode in one of my classes next quarter if it didn’t give away almost every twist of the … Continue reading

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Reflections on Ritual

Yesterday professor and author James K. A. Smith announced his move from Comment Magazine to Image Journal.  Smith was a big draw to Comment for me, so his loss there is significant.  At the same time, I’m curious to see … Continue reading

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Education as Starvation Diet

As with many other areas of life, education tends to be a perpetual victim of trends and fads.  Unmoored from any deep-rooted principle or practice, the contemporary classroom and campus now finds itself blown here and there by whatever assertions … Continue reading

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