God of all time,help us enter the New Year quietly,thoughtful of who we are to ourselves and to others,mindful that our steps make an impactand our words carry power. May we walk gently.May we speak only after we have listened well. Creator of all life,help us enter the New Year reverently,aware that you have endowedevery creature and plant, every person and habitatwith beauty and purpose. May we regard the world with tenderness.May we honor rather than destroy. Lover of all souls,help us enter the New Year joyfully,willing to laugh and dance and dream,remembering our many gifts with thanksand looking forward to blessings yet to come. May we welcome your lavish love.May we cast off the small, vindictive god our fears have made.May the grace and peace of Christ bless us now and in the days ahead. Vinita Hampton Wright … [Read more...]

Advent already?  I know you are thinking - it is too soon and you are right.  I am early this year with writing about the Advent season. Advent doesn’t begin until December 1st, but you see I am going to be traveling lots in November (more about that here on the blog next week) so I need to be organized and thinking ahead about what all needs to be done as soon as I return after our trip. And Advent and Christmas will be facing me squarely in the face once I am home. You will think I am crazy, but I have already purchased several “white elephant” gifts for early Christmas parties to take for the gift exchanges. I dug through the dusty bags in the basement and found the greeting cards I got last year on sale to send this year and brought them upstairs to have on the dining room table, ready to go once we get home. I hope to print the mailing labels before we leave. No, I won’t decorate before we leave. I am not that crazy! Ha!  But I was tempted… Today I found my … [Read more...]

Pentecost is this coming Sunday, May 19 commemorating the arrival of the Holy Spirit and is often called the birthday of the church.  The word Pentecost means “fiftieth day,” as it is celebrated fifty days after Easter.  I love the tradition in my church to celebrate this day in many ways, including wearing red to represent the flames and the power of the Spirit. Two years ago, I wrote about the various names of the Trinity and which one in particular for the Holy Spirit that resonated with my own spirituality.  Looking at the various names, I paused this year and considered which name seemed most appropriate for me right now in my spiritual walk.  I knew if I listened quiestly to my heart, the Spirit would answer. I listened and the name – the Comforter – shimmered and called my name. Comforter. Just the name brings a sense of peace, doesn’t it?  Comforter reminds us God is with us in all our life - the good days and the difficult times. And I will pray … [Read more...]

Merry Christmas. This is a little early but getting close. I am taking a few weeks off from writing full blog posts as the year ends.  Creating space to be with God and my family.  To take time to savor this precious season and the gift of life. Time to reflect on the past year and dream into the next one. May God bless you with peace, joy and hope this year and into 2024 and beyond. Here is a prayer written by Henri Nouwen. I love his raw honesty in his words and the personal intimacy he speaks with God. May it be so for us too. O Lord, how hard it is to accept your way. You come to me as a small, powerless child born away from home. You live for me as a stranger in your own land. You die for me as a criminal outside the walls of the city, rejected by your own people, misunderstood by your friends, and feeling abandoned by your God. As I prepare to celebrate your birth, I am trying to feel loved, accepted, and at home in this world, and I am trying to overcome … [Read more...]

Freedom is celebrated in many ways but in the United States we set aside the Fourth of July to savor freedom, cheer in parades, wave the flag, and watch glorious fireworks.  Here are a few quotes about freedom to consider. “For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.” Nelson Mandela “Freedom is the open window through which pours the sunlight of the human spirit and human dignity.” Herbert Hoover "May we think of freedom, not as the right to do as we please but as the opportunity to do what is right." Peter Marshall "But laws alone cannot secure freedom of expression; in order that every man may present his views without penalty there must be a spirit of tolerance in the entire population." Albert Einstein "Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom, must, like men, undergo the fatigues of supporting it."  Thomas Paine "All the great things are simple, and many can be … [Read more...]