Lenten Joy: Posture of Prayer

“For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,  nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” -Romans 8:38-39 Unconditional love is a challengingContinue reading “Lenten Joy: Posture of Prayer”

Comfort: God’s Love Revisited

Romans 8:31-39 No, in all these things In the washing dishes, folding laundry, rushing out the door, shopping, taxi-ing the kids, the grind of work we are more than victorious in the remembered hug, pink sunrise, holding hands, new ideas, list accomplished, anger dissolved, patience-chosen moments through him who loved us. through it all – Jesus loved us.Continue reading “Comfort: God’s Love Revisited”

Joy: Accepting Our Mortality

“But the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not die’” -Genesis 3:4 Accepting that we are finite human beings in need of God’s grace each day is spiritual discipline that goes against cultural norms.  Simplifying our schedules, our possessions, or creating new boundaries in our daily routines can be one way of practicing thisContinue reading “Joy: Accepting Our Mortality”

Lenten Comfort: Living with Limits

“But the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not die’” -Genesis 3:4 It is understandable that Advent and Christmas are the preferred church holidays. Ash Wednesday comes in the long weeks of winter with its invitation to remember our mortality. While our culture encourages us to live in denial of death, for centuries, ChristiansContinue reading “Lenten Comfort: Living with Limits”

Lenten Joy: Clothed with Love

“Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.” -Colossians 3:14 In the Western Hemisphere, the liturgical season of Lent leading to Easter is celebrated as the last vestiges of winter melt away and signs of spring emerge.  The word Lent comes from an Old English word that meant spring. WhileContinue reading “Lenten Joy: Clothed with Love”

Lent Comfort: It’s Not Fair

But now you must get rid of all such things: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive language from your mouth.  Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have stripped off the old self with its practices and have clothed yourselves with the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge according to theContinue reading “Lent Comfort: It’s Not Fair”

Rend & Return: An invitation to Lent

Our lives are finite; ashes to ashes All of us will die; dust to dust  Today, Christians around the world receive the mark of ashes as a sign of repentance and a reminder of our humanity. This is the ritual that starts the season of Lent, the 40-day journey to Holy Week and Easter.  TheContinue reading “Rend & Return: An invitation to Lent”

Summer Fun: Blessing

May the Spirit, who ordered the chaos, spoke everything into being and animated creation Enliven you May the Holy One who provides manna performs wonders and makes a way (when it seems there is none) Bless you May Emmanuel who took on flesh, laughed, cried, prayed and shared a table with friends Companion you todayContinue reading “Summer Fun: Blessing”

Summer Comfort: Restoration

“Well, kids are resilient,” my confidant announced. “It will just make him stronger,” she pronounced after I shared about a hard experience my son had endured.  While practicing self-confidence, flexibility, patience, communication and teamwork may all be valuable none of us would wish these skills to be strengthened through adversity. In her book, The PowerContinue reading “Summer Comfort: Restoration”

Summer Comfort: Flow

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”  -Matthew 6:21 I have had jobs where each afternoon I found myself checking the clock.  Time drug out and each minute slid slowly by.  These were not jobs I looked forward to! When time seems to drag we are often lacking engagement and focus.Continue reading “Summer Comfort: Flow”