Gaining a heart of wisdom
For a minute, I was puzzled. The bright blue Post-It Note in my planner had a phone number in my own spidery handwriting, along with the words "FIRST CALL" in bold capital letters. Realization landed first in the pit of my stomach. These were hospice contacts for our friend Jeanette, who passed away in our… Continue reading Let the Puzzling Path of Sorrow Lead You to Hope
(The voice of a grieving mother after Herod's Slaughter of the Innocents based on the biblical accounts in Matthew 2:16-18; Jeremiah 31:15; Isaiah 61:1-3) There was no angel appearance to my husband -- No timely warning granted for us to flee the danger and death of Herod's sword. Know that I, too, would have fled.… Continue reading The Christmas Story No One Wants to Talk About
Written by real people with genuine feelings–often worn closer to the surface than this stoic New Englander might like–the Bible gives voice to a full range of emotions. There is plenty of joy and lots of celebration, and this has found its way into our worship. However, we are less comfortable with the shadow side… Continue reading Lament Looks at Evil in the World and then Looks for God
I've just turned the last page in the book of Deuteronomy. Moses's ministry has come to a close, his life has come to its end, and he's given a glimpse of the land God had promised to his people. But he will never set foot on it. One of the benefits of my plodding through… Continue reading Finding Rest and Being Satisfied in the Land of See and Trust
Sunday Scripture I don't recall exactly when I realized that I was missing the melody of the psalms in my daily life, but I decided to correct the situation by praying through the psalms. Now, twenty-something days into the practice, I'm grateful, because the practice of praying a psalm every day is opening up my… Continue reading Why You Should Pray a Psalm Every Day
Thirty years ago, I married into a family that celebrated Thanksgiving Day with All-American fervor, featuring a day-long gathering and a loaded table. As the new bride, I was eager to prove that I had what it took to be the holiday hostess. Having done my research, I had planned all the best sides, multiple-choice… Continue reading Gratitude: Look at the Loss and then Give Thanks
The epigraph for Psalm 142 reads: “A contemplation of David. A prayer when he was in the cave.” How wonderful that David knew God could hear him from his gloomy hiding place. He knew very well that God was with him there in the cave. I cry out to the Lord with my voice . . .… Continue reading Sunday Scripture ~ Psalm 142:7
Wild extremes live on the bandwidth that comprises Christian faith. At one end of the scale are those who believe scarcely a thing at all, but even this is not as frightening to me as those on the end of the spectrum who have God all figured out. With algebraic precision, they are able to… Continue reading The Gift of Wonder and God’s Glorious “And”
Written by real people with genuine feelings--often worn closer to the surface than this stoic New Englander might like--the Bible gives voice to a full range of emotions. There is plenty of joy, lots of celebration, and this has found its way into our worship. However, we are less comfortable with the practice of biblical… Continue reading A Melody Above the Noise of Your Grief
It's a common experience: the brain goes in search of a word that just will not materialize. Finally, eventually, the elusive word does come, even if it takes a thesaurus to prime the pump, and we rejoice because in conversation and in writing, finding and savoring the just-right-word to frame a thought is supremely satisfying.… Continue reading When Words Fail: Living and Lamenting through Dementia
Living Our Days 