Lenten Lights JJ ~ Holding out Hope Just a few weeks ago, on the third day of Lent (March 7) I wrote about standing in “hope and expectation that new leaves will appear soon” on this very tree. Now in Holy Week…
Read MoreHoly Week III
Holy Week III – Wednesday Six Word Stories* surrounded by a cloud of witnesses ++++++++++++ *During Holy Week the posts will be six word stories. Today’s story is taken from the epistle reading: Hebrews 12:1-3.
Read MoreOrdinary Time XV
Big Trees
One of the joys of my recent family vacation in California was seeing the amazing redwoods and giant sequoias. One of this week’s lectionary texts is Psalm 1. Here is the translation . . .
Easter XI
Healing
Part II: Trees
One of this Sunday’s passages is Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21.
As one commentator summarized it: “The conclusion of Revelation has seemed to many interpreters to be a bit choppy, a barely-held-together conglomeration of leftover pieces, stumbling toward the close of the book.” I’ll say.
Earlier this week I heard a sermon which dealt with the morass of endings by focusing on one image from the text: the tree of life. Just that phrase took me like a hyperlink to one of the most healing images of my own life time . . . . the tree of life.
Read MoreEpiphany VIII
The wisdom of a tree . . . Trees show up a lot in my poetry and life. This afternoon a look at some trees reminded me of this journal entry from September. I was in Charlotte, North Carolina for a meeting. I was feeling a bit lonely and bereft in the midst meeting. I ended up on a bench outside. Here is what I wrote. I turned at this moment on the bench and realized there was what I needed – right in front of me – a very large tree.
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