Episcopal chaplain at Rice University in Houston. Mother to Neil and Annie. Wife to Josh.
About Sarah Condon
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- A pregnant friend who had to cancel her trip to Disney World.
- My asthmatic dad.
- All of the older people who are coming to church.
- All of the older people who are not coming to church.
- Children in the third ward of Houston who depend on school for food.
- Their parents.
- Anyone making decisions about whether or not to close schools.
- Everyone in our city who just has allergies but believes that their spouse in a bathrobe might be the grim reaper.
- The grim reaper. This is a tough season for her.
- Teenagers who are in love. We need that kind of madness and hope right now. Keep it up, kids.
- The young woman who took a job at CVS to get herself through college. And now gets yelled at about the lack of Purell. Hourly.
- My Asian doctor who told me how racist people have been to her.
- Lonely people.
- People who wanted to spend less time on social media and now are spending three times as much time on social media.
- Flight attendants.
- Anyone with OCD.
- People who have recently been told they only have months left to live. I pray that they can take advantage of cheap cruises. Seriously.
- People who are really scared.
- People who feel the need to be critical of people who are scared.
- Myself. That I can remember that God so loved the world that He gave us Jesus. And that He did not come to condemn the world but that He came to save it. He said so Himself.
When a Fish Dies at the Children’s Hospital and Other Thoughts on Prayer
Right now, there are few places with as much contrast as a children’s hospital. Our son, who has broken his arm twice this year, had an appointment last week to get his cast taken off. This second time around has been harder. The bone was not healing as quickly as it had last fall. There […]
When Grace Comes as a Trophy
My mother has been going through things lately. Like many people right now, she has time on her hands to unload the boxes that were lovingly packed away decades ago with the best intentions about the then-present “meaning” but with little regard for how callous time might make us. She has sent me photos of […]
Happy Easter: Paint the Damn House in Hope
The other day our daughter did the math and realized that she will not have her long hoped for kindergarten Chuck E. Cheese birthday party. This is a time-honored tradition in our household. As people who give communion to newly baptized babies, it is perhaps the closest she gets to a First Communion she will […]
The Hardest Moments Right Now
1. When I know my kids have been on the iPad for too long but I still have work left to do. 2. When my kindergartener gets off of her morning Zoom meeting with her class and is inconsolably sad. 3. At night when I realize I have to do the day all over again. […]
Things My Grandmothers Taught Me That Are Helping Right Now
It is perfectly acceptable to save .02 ounces of macaroni and cheese in a Cool Whip container with a tin foil top. There’s nothing wrong with constantly having a pound cake in the house. There’s nothing wrong with elastic waisted pants. Children can watch hours of television and still feel loved if you offer them […]
Monsters of Hope: Parenting in a Pandemic
We are entering week two of quarantinacation with our two young children, and it is hard. Initially I over-functioned. I spent an obscene amount of money on books and art kits. I set up a printer so we could have actual math worksheets. I yelled the “F” word while trying to set up the printer. […]
The Heroes We Need Right Now
My brother. He’s not feeling well. I called him and cried and said things like, “Please drink gatorade” and “You were my first baby and I can’t handle anything happening to you.” On FaceTime no less. My brother’s girlfriend who sat calmly beside him and told me they would be okay. It’s so comforting to […]
People I Am Praying for Right Now
(c) Bob Eckstein: https://www.weeklyhumorist.com/cartoon-new-coronavirus-mascot/
The Best Penitential Season Ever, Or, A Lenten Kinship with the Devil
This year, my Lent was going to be the greatest in the history of all penitential seasons. I wanted to do something manageable that might make a big impact on my overall life: I had decided that I would go to bed every night at 9:30pm. This seemed achievable and wise. Not overly spiritual or […]
Blessings from the Elderly and a Memaw Bible Commentary
Recently at church, an older lady grabbed me by the shoulders and said, “Look at me in the eyes. You are a wonderful mother. You are a wonderful preacher. You are a wonderful wife. I wish your parents were here so I could tell them that.” (For the record I feel like none of these […]
A Couple Thoughts on Desperate Evangelism
Once, at a community breakfast our church hosted, a friend walked up to me to make a confession. It is one I am certain he walked away regretting. He approached me with urgency on his face and said, “Sarah, I need to tell you something. I got dressed up today for church. I mean, we […]
A Primer for Staying Married at Christmas
Christmas is, as we say in our household, the season of BIG FEELINGS. Expect all of them from your spouse. And from yourself. Without judgement. The other night I realized our daughter called thermometers “mothers,” and I could not find a suitable amount of Kleenex. My husband looked perplexed and said, “Are you sure that […]
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