by jakeowensby | Jul 9, 2021 | Uncategorized
Jason Reynolds noticed something about young people. Especially young boys. They hate reading books. At least, they think that they hate books. His insight was that they don’t actually detest reading. They just don’t like being bored. The problem, he realized, was...
by jakeowensby | Jun 14, 2019 | Uncategorized
We leave the house before sunrise. In June and July, first light brings with it the deer flies. To avoid their bites, Joy and I gulp down a cup of coffee, throw on our walking gear, and hit the wooded roads in the dark. Dawn breaks behind us on the last stretch of our...
by jakeowensby | Aug 10, 2018 | John 6: 41-51
When preschoolers inhabited the Owensby house, bedtime included story time. On some nights, Andrew, Meredith, or Patrick would choose a short and frankly tedious book designed to teach colors or animal names. Inevitably, they would insist that we read it again and...
by jakeowensby | Dec 28, 2017 | 1 Christmas B, John 1:1-18
The story of Jesus begins long before the manger and even before the angel Gabriel’s startling announcement to Mary. Before God said, “Let there be light,” and “Let there be stars and moon, fish and birds, cows and caterpillars,” God said, “Let there be Jesus.” In...
by jakeowensby | Oct 13, 2017 | Matthew 22:1-14, Proper 23 A
Just because you’re sitting next to people at the dinner table doesn’t mean you’re actually close to them. Take for instance my memory of the first time my wife Joy and I shared Thanksgiving dinner with my father, his wife, and his in-laws from that marriage. Joy and...
