Book Lover Day is coming! August 9. This is a day to relax and enjoy a book – of course I think that could be every and any day. I sure do like reading and often am pouring my heart into several books at one time. Some I buy but many come from our library. Gotta love the library. Here are a few quotes from my current pile of books. Write for your Life – Anne Quindlen.“I have to write to discover what I am doing.” Flannery O’Connor“We write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospect.” Anais Nin“Technology is a useful servant but a dangerous master.” Christian Lange, in his 1921 Nobel Prize acceptance speech. Amazing this was said 100 years ago and is even more true today. New Seeds of Contemplation - Thomas Merton (an often reread – do you have books you continue to pick up and reread?) “Contemplation is the highest expression of man’s intellectual and spiritual life. It is that life itself, fully awake, fully active, full aware that it is alive. It is spiritual … [Read more...]
Prayer of Abandonment
The prayer of abandonment by Charles de Foucauld has haunted me all year. The words keep appearing in readings. Its message scares me yet draws me into contemplation. This prayer is calling to my soul. Can I really pray this prayer? Am I honest in saying thank you in response to God doing what he wants with my life? Is this truthfully my only wish to be abandoned to God? Will I ever fully surrender my all to the All? Part of me says yes, but my ego shivers with the consequences. I yearn to be closer to God but to be honest, my pride, personal agenda, and independence pulls me in opposite directions. I thirst to keep the eyes of my heart only on him. This prayer of abandonment requires trust and faith that I am inadequately equipped for – I am not strong enough to pray this prayer on my own. Then I realize I am overthinking, overreacting. Fear blocks me from risking my love for God. “Just take a deep breath, Jeanie. Slow down and pray. God will take care of the … [Read more...]
Lord Jesus, You Shall Be My Song – Hymn and a Prayer
Hymns are beautiful forms of worship and moments of prayer. Often, I just say, not sing, hymn lyrics when being with God. This practice deeply connects me with that song plus gives me wonderful expressions that help me articulate what I want to say to God through cries for help, praise, lament, comfort, desire, and love. Lord Jesus, You Shall Be My Song was a new hymn for me when we sang at our synod assembly a few weeks ago. I stopped singing just to breathe in the words. I closed my eyes and listened deeply. I worshipped. I prayed. Later I wrote them out in my journal and have used them in my morning devotion. “Those who sing, pray twice” has always been one of my favorite sayings. I think those who pray songs, sing twice! This hymn was originally composed in French by “Les petites soeurs de Jésus” ("The Little Sisters of Jesus"). The tune is a little hard to follow which probably explains why we haven’t sung it much in church, but I do love the words. Such … [Read more...]
Coddiwompling with the Phrase: After All
After all is a phrase that includes my word of the year. All is my word of the year and so when I see, hear, noticed this word I look deeper with eyes of my heart. Is there a lesson there? Is this a new way of seeing my word? What does this phrase, setting, or use of my word stir in my spirit? So I hold up this phrase now – listening, leaning into its meaning, what does it mean to my deep hungering for All? I am coddiwompling with this phrase. Isn’t that a great word? Coddiwomple means to travel in a purposeful manner towards a vague destination. These words have become my companion as I look for its meaning but not sure where I will end up. I am exploring my soul, after all. Etiology of After All First I take this phrase into the world of the dictionary. After All is used “for saying that something is true despite what was said or planned before.” Or to add information as a way of verifying what we said. I have also seen it used in this manner: … [Read more...]
NO POWER
No power. I woke up suddenly knowing something happened while we slept. In my foggy first moments I realized the power was out and pitch blackness saturated the room. I could hear the thunder and assumed the storm knocked out our electricity. With the dim glow of my cell phone, I cautiously moved to the front of the house scanning the neighborhood for any signs of light. None. No power anywhere along the street. My phone’s data allowed me to googled the local energy company and found its map for outages. Yep, our entire village’s electrical grid was down with the estimate time of repair of 4 am. Ok, it’s 11 pm the lights will be back on by the time I need to get up and get ready. Wrong. The time kept changing. 8 am. 3 pm. 11 pm. What caused this disruption on my world? The truth is stranger than fiction. In our neighboring town a lightning strike took out a transformer that sent all power to my village. Wires dangled lower over railroad tracks and sure enough … [Read more...]
Share Four Somethings – June 2022
Share Four Somethings is a regular blog post where I feature bits of wisdom in four categories. I love this practice as it collects moments for reflection and growth. These “somethings” become markers in our spiritual journey. With so much pivoting and uncertainty in our lives right now, being grounded in a simple practice like this guides my way. I listened to my heart and to God and narrowed down my four categories and to see what they will teach me this year. Something WiseSomething WonderfulSomething WhisperedSomething Whimsical Each one reminds me to pay attention to these qualities in my life as gifts from God. I am learning that whimsical is the hardest one for me to capture and one that need the most coaxing to appear. This was true again this month. Something Wise “Hope is holding a creative tension between what is and what could and should be, each day doing something to narrow the distance between the two.” Parker J Palmer I am slowly … [Read more...]
Pilgrimage Ponderings
Pilgrimage. Journey. Travel. I just returned from a 12-day pilgrimage through Germany, Austria, and the Czech Republic. I fully believe that travel gifts us in three ways: the joy in the planning and anticipation of a journey, the delights embracing the moments experienced while present in new places and the insights through reflections once home again. On a pilgrimage, the intention is to be open to God and allow the experience to transform us. It is not about the destination(s), as either a vacation or pilgrimage can explore an historic site or sacred spot – it is about the journey within. And please don’t take me wrong: there is nothing bad about taking vacations. Vacation renews us, connects us with others and brings learning and joy into our lives. Transforming an excursion into a pilgrimage offers a deeper level. “If we truly want to know the secret of soulful travel, we need to believe that there is something sacred waiting to be discovered in virtually every … [Read more...]
Do You Know the Church Year Celebration of Ascension-tide?
Ascension-tide? Ever hear of it? The church year calendar is full of wonderful opportunities for us to learn more about God, to open our hearts to new perspectives, and to grow spiritually. Ascension-tide is the ten days tucked between the Ascension of our Lord into heaven until the Day of Pentecost. This year Ascension-tide starts May 26 and goes until Pentecost, June 5th. This feast doesn’t get much attention. No store décor. No special food. No days off. No jingles or hymns to sing. Ascension-tide is the season when we remember that the disciples let go of Jesus so that he can be always present to all people. Jesus was gone and the Holy Spirit hadn’t been sent yet. These ten days became a time of waiting and longing for God. I wonder what the followers of Christ did and felt during the 10 days after they witnessed Jesus’ ascension into heaven and before the arrival of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. Did they struggle with doubts? Did they wait impatiently? I … [Read more...]