Welcome to the Blooming Cactus. My name is Todd Weir. The Blooming Cactus is my hopeful spiritual search for "desert blossoms" in the midst of daily turmoil. Look for weekly bliblical commentary on the lectionary, reflections on living a spiritual life and thoughts on the world around us. My goal is to make this site helpful to other preachers and people trying to be faithful to the scriptures.
"The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom." Isaiah 35:1
I work in a Transitional Housing Program for homeless people called Hillcrest House in Poughkeepsie, New York. Previously, I served as a pastor for 15 years in urban churches and working with the homeless has always been a part of my ministry. In Poughkeepsie, I helped develop a ministry with East African immigrants and traveled to refugee camps in Kenya. I am interested in Conflict Transformation and spent a month in Northern Ireland interviewing people working to overcome Protestant/Catholic Tensions. Integrating the classic spiritual traditions with social action has long been my passion. I'm ordained in the United Church of Christ. In my spare time I love to read, especially historical fiction, and I try to keep in shape and play raquetball. I have two sons, James and Michael, who are 12 and 11 years old.
