Christmas is fast approaching but first Advent. Advent Advent is the four weeks before the celebration of the birth of Jesus. December 1 is the first Sunday in this season this year and at our church, we will light the first of the four candles surrounding the white Christ candle. The candles symbolize joy, hope, peace, and love. This time before Christmas is a time of anticipation and waiting for the gift of this holy season. If we pay attention, God will surprise us with his presence. If we wait in stillness, we will find him in unexpected places like a manger in Bethlehem. “Advent, like its cousin Lent, is a season for prayer and reformation of our hearts. Since it comes at wintertime, fire is a fitting sign to help us celebrate Advent. If Christ is to come more fully into our lives this Christmas, if God is to become really incarnate for us, then fire will have to be present in our prayer. Our worship and devotion will have to stoke the kind of fire in our souls that can … [Read more...]

Seasonal rhythms erupted in northwest Ohio this past week. Trees ignited in reds, yellows, and oranges. We actually experienced several sunny days accentuating the fall colors. One season brilliantly illuminating the way into another sequence of time. Time changed a few weekends ago too – bringing darker mornings. Now we are transitioning from colors to drab. Yet I hold the promise of new life as bird nests once hidden suddenly appear. Read more here about my lessons about bird nests. I am not a fan of the gloomy winter days. I long for the joy found in the light and warmth of summer. But there is a comfort in living into the rhythms of each year. The discovery of each season's gifts. The understanding that there is a time of everything in life. A few weeks ago I heard a speaker say we really only deal with 2-4 main issues our entire lives. Like a spiral, we keep coming back to the same flaws, strengths, and desires over and over again but with a different perspective, … [Read more...]

Do you sense July Joy? July starts with a bang – with fireworks, festive activities, and celebrations. Even the flowers, especially daily and lilies now blooming, smile this month. Joy is a beautiful gift from God and one I am embracing this month.  This essence brings healing, energy, and an invitation to dance with the spirit. I celebrate God's delight – his goodness and faithfulness. I wrote a whole series of the spiritual practice of celebration a few years ago. You can check it out here and here is the link for a free download accompanying this practice. Click here to get the download With this week bringing a holiday for those of us in the US, take a few moments to enjoy and embrace celebrations and joy. Pause and pray with thankfulness for all God has given us.  We do have lots of reasons to celebrate. Celebrate our freedom. Celebrate our friends and family. Celebrate our faith. Quotes about Joy We have God’s joy in our blood.
 Frederick … [Read more...]

What is Holy Tuesday? This week is Holy Week – a major worship-filled week for Christians. What a week to create space in our lives, calendars and time to come humbly and mindfully before God who gave us all – life, love, and grace. We start the week together waving palms, honoring Jesus as King. We eat together on Thursday beholding Jesus as the bread and wine. We cry together in the dark sanctuary on Friday evening, remembering the cruxificion. We rejoice together on Sunday receiving the gift of everlasting life from the One who defeated death forever. As this post goes live, it is Tuesday. What is Holy Tuesday? Holy Tuesday The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke tell us that on Monday Jesus cleanses the temple of the money changers, curses the fig tree, and weeps ever Jerusalem. On Tuesday, all four Gospels relate that Jesus finds the fig tree withered and talks about faith. What Does Holy Tuesday Teach Us? As I paused on this way through this sacred time, I … [Read more...]