Gaining a heart of wisdom
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
Nearly 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,… Continue reading Thanksgiving Celebration and Lament
When we read about women in the Bible, there's a tendency to flatten them out into cardboard characters, one-dimensional and distant. Kate Merrick was in that camp as well, intimidated by the fabulous woman of Proverbs 31, judging Bathsheba, missing the depth of Mary's sacrifice in saying yes to God, and brushing Sarah off as… Continue reading Laughter on the Pathway of Lament
The walls had been rebuilt. The people living in and around the city of Jerusalem had gathered. Along with the fresh aroma of new lumber from Ezra’s wooden platform and his strong voice ringing out over the hum of the crowd, celebration was in the air! Within the barely-renovated city walls of Jerusalem, there was… Continue reading Celebration and Lament
Living Our Days 