Advent Vigil O Lord, deliver us from believing that surveillance is a substitute for relationship. Turn us away from thinking cameras alone can deter violence. Give us instead new eyes to see one another with trust and new hearts to…
Read MoreOrdinary Time V – Prayers for Ferguson
Prayers for #Ferguson – Tuesday Yesterday I posted a sweet message about my child’s back-to-school day. Today I’m posting a prayer for the children of #Ferguson who were scheduled to begin classes today, August 19, 2014. Schools will remain closed this…
Read MoreLent XXXIX
Lenten Lights MM ~ Silent Saturday Early this morning in my car headlines on the radio jumped out to me for the long and deep silences in each stories. . . prolonged waiting for grieved families, the crushing depths of the ocean, the ignorance of damage…
Read MoreOrdinary Time XI
Beach Memos I took more time away from this blog than I intended. But apparently I needed the rest. Part of my time away was spent at the beach. Over the next few weeks I plan to share a few…
Read MoreOrdinary Time X
rain after days on end of mercury topping the charts it is sweet relief waking to soft drumming rain on leaves outside my window low clouds churn and roil and my daughter says to the thunder that’s the sound of…
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Epiphany IX
Psalm 139 on a Wednesday night When I speak to children I speak in a voice that gathers them in Even while they tumble across the carpet Like puppies with clothes They whine and yip and yelp occasionally But when…
Read MoreEpiphany VII
Breathing a Prayer Let everything that has breath praise the Creator. When we lived in Georgia parishioners there introduced us to the amaryllis. Every year a pot with a gigantic bulb would appear on my desk during Advent. By the…
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Christmastide II – It Takes Two Hands
It Takes Two Hands In our extended families we stretch out Christmas for several days. And we try to keep our family meals and gift exchanges to one-per-day. Christmas 2011 is in the books now. It was enjoyable for the…
Read MoreOrdinary Time XXVIII
Contemplaying Yes. I just made up a new word. Wrote it by accident last week. I’ve decided it’s a keeper. I was trying to write contemplating, as you might imagine, and my fingers tapped out contemplaying instead.* Lovely! Think of…
Read MoreOrdinary Time XIV
Taking the Path of Prayer In all my time at seminary I don’t recall anyone saying to me, “To learn how to be a minister, you should pray.” Nor do I recall anyone saying, “You will need to attend to…
Read MoreEpiphany XIII
This week the Gospel reading holds one of the hardest sayings of Jesus. At least for me. Matthew 5:43-44: “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” This one is hard not so much because I have a lot of clearly defined enemies. Although I suppose I do have a few. And no doubt, I’ve made some.
Read MoreEpiphany IV
Prayer and Anxiety On Sunday morning I will teach six- seven- and eight-year-olds something about prayer. Or they may teach me. Later this week I’ll begin a two week intensive journey of learning together with a group of adults about…
Read MoreOrdinary Time XXXVIII
Gratitude: On this eve of Thanksgiving, what else can one write, but words that offer thanks? So many places to start. But I think I’ll simply name a few small things. Things easy to overlook, but important not to miss. . . like ladybugs
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