For months now, I have been struggling with being tired. Really tired. The kind of tiredness that seems to have seeped into my bones. Of course, I'm incredibly stubborn, so I have mostly just pushed through it. I'm pretty good at not letting how I feel stop me from doing what I feel I needContinue reading "“Failing” Lent: Day 9"
“Failing” Lent: Day 7&8
I want to talk a little more about the labyrinth. On Wednesday, I spent most of the day crawling around on the floor to tape all the tiny little blue "stars" together into circles and then to open the circles up to form a path and then to add details at the turns. As IContinue reading "“Failing” Lent: Day 7&8"
“Failing” Lent: Day 6
There are hundreds and hundreds of little tiny irregular blue dots all over the floor in the fellowship hall at Salem. At certain angles, they look randomly placed as though someone tossed confetti in the air and this is how it landed, but if you look a minute you'll notice that all the little dotsContinue reading "“Failing” Lent: Day 6"
“Failing” Lent: Day 5
I sat down to write last night and stared at the screen. I finally gave up and went to bed. It had been a good and busy day, but I was exhausted. Because I was so exhausted and kind of grouchy most of the day, I didn't really get what God kept hinting at forContinue reading "“Failing” Lent: Day 5"
“Failing” Lent: Day 4
This morning my devotion turned out to be looking out the window. I was supposed to read something, but this was all I got to. It was all I really needed. There was a fresh layer of maybe two inches on the ground, which seemed a dusting after the 30" we got last week. ItContinue reading "“Failing” Lent: Day 4"
A Wandering Aramean…
The texts for Sunday, February 17, 2013 (Lent 1C): Deuteronomy 26:1–11; Psalm 91:1–2, 9–16; Romans 10:8b–13; and Luke 4:1–13 "A wandering Aramean was my ancestor ... The LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with a terrifying display of power, and with signs and wonders; and he broughtContinue reading "A Wandering Aramean…"
“Failing” at Lent: Day 3
Today was my first "fast" day. It had been a long time since I had fasted last—mostly, I stopped when I started having food issues (I developed an intolerance to egg a long while back) and then gave up meat pretty well full time. I figured that my life was really pretty centered around dietContinue reading "“Failing” at Lent: Day 3"
“Failing” at Lent: Day 2
Today, I have nothing much to report about "messing up" per se, so I thought I'd talk about my experience of busy-ness. I noticed it today—especially this morning as I sat down to my devotional text from Hildegaard... The practice that I'm using to explore the devotional text is Lectio Divina. It is a wayContinue reading "“Failing” at Lent: Day 2"
Failing at Lent: Day 1
As of today, February 13,2013, the season of Lent has begun yet again. Lent is my favorite season of the year, and I have marked it's passing in numerous different ways. Some years I had strict disciplines that excluded large portions of my diet for the full forty days (which, I almost kept perfectly). SomeContinue reading "Failing at Lent: Day 1"
Learning to let go
The texts for Sunday, February 10, 2013 (Transfiguration Sunday): Exodus 34:29-35; Psalm 99; 2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2; and Luke 9:28-36 "Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, 'Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah'--not knowing whatContinue reading "Learning to let go"
Proclaiming hope
The texts for January 20, 2013 (Epiphany 2C): Isaiah 62:1-5, Psalm 36:5-10, 1 Corinthians 12:1-11, and John 2:1-11 "For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until her vindication shines out like the dawn, and her salvation like a burning torch." - Isaiah 62:1 Did you knowContinue reading "Proclaiming hope"
The water and the fire
The texts for Sunday January 13,2013: Isaiah 43:1-7; Psalm 29; Acts 8:14-17; and Luke 3:15-17, 21-22 "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you." - IsaiahContinue reading "The water and the fire"
The Mystery that is Grace
The texts for January 6, 2013 (Epiphany Day): Isaiah 60:1-6; Psalm 72: 1-7, 10-14; Ephesians 3: 1-12; and Matthew 2:1-12 "Although I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given to me to bring to the Gentiles the news of the boundless riches of Christ, and to make everyone see whatContinue reading "The Mystery that is Grace"
The Importance of Doubt
This reflection was preached for the Longest Night service, December 21, 2012. This service is meant to be a service of prayer, healing, and space for sorrow amid a generally cheerful time. Little surprise, in Connecticut of late (especially so close to Sandy Hook) it's not been overly cheery as we mourn those we knowContinue reading "The Importance of Doubt"
Slivers of Light
The texts for Sunday, December 16, 2012: Zephaniah 3:14–20; Isaiah 12:2–6; Philippians 4:4–7; and Luke 3:7–18 You don't light a candle in a well lit space You don't use a flashlight to guide you in the middle of the day. You don't hope and dream when the world is perfect... It's almost the Winter Solstice.Continue reading "Slivers of Light"
Dreaming in the Dark
The texts for Sunday, December 16, 2012: Zephaniah 3:14–20; Isaiah 12:2–6; Philippians 4:4–7; and Luke 3:7–18. I have heard the news repeated again and again. 28 dead. 20 of them children. I've seen picture after picture of the events surrounding the tragedy at Sandy Hook School—the trauma, the tears, the shattered lives, the shock, theContinue reading "Dreaming in the Dark"
The Vulnerability of Incarnation
The text for this reflection/sermon for the first Wednesday service in Advent (December 5, 2012): Luke 22: 14-19 One of the things that may become obvious, or maybe not, looking at Mary's swelling belly or the infant Jesus lying in a manger is that Christians aren't much into the "omni-god." The "omni-god" is what IContinue reading "The Vulnerability of Incarnation"
Praying for Transformation
The texts for Sunday, December 9,2012 (Advent 2C): Baruch 5:1–9; Luke 1:68–79; Philippians 1:3–11; and Luke 3:1–6. "Take off the garment of your sorrow and affliction, O Jerusalem, and put on forever the beauty of the glory from God." - Baruch 5:1 I've come to the realization that I just don't really want to talkContinue reading "Praying for Transformation"
Jabbok Dawn 