Ready for Ash Wednesday and Lent? Today is Shrove Tuesday which I featured on the blog last year and tomorrow is Ash Wednesday. This solemn service includes confession and reconciliation and the use of ashes to form a cross on each forehead. “From dust you came and from dust you will return.” Genesis 3: 19 The symbolism of ashes stirs my heart each year and feels like the threshold on our walk to Gethsemane and the Resurrection. I stand in the doorway between the seasons and pause to ponder God's faithfulness and forgiveness and to pray and praise his grace and love. The sign of the cross on our forehead with ashes recalls our baptism, and reminds us that in both life and life beyond life we belong to God; we are “marked as Christ’s own forever.” In our parish and many others, the ashes are made by burning palm branches from the previous Palm Sunday. Throughout the Bible ashes represent repentance and asking God for mercy and forgiveness. For … [Read more...]
Are you a Spiritual Marathoner?
Are you a spiritual marathoner? I am a not a runner. Yes, I do walk for exercise but run? No way! If I did try running, I am sure I wouldn't go far before gasping for air or collapsing. My legs and my heart aches with the thought of running a marathon. Yet, in many ways we are all running a collective marathon right now. It has almost been a year we have endured this pandemic – a life event we didn't choose, can't control, and we are not sure when it will be over. We are tired. We desperately want to get back to how we used to do things. We are emotionally and spiritually exhausted. I said this to others serving in the church and friends of faith and all agreed. There is a bone weary, soul numbing fatigue. "Hitting the wall" is a phrase marathoners use when every step feels like you are wading through concrete and you begin to doubt if you will ever see the finish line. In reality this feeling of defeat and discouragement usually arrives at about mile 20 of … [Read more...]
Who Shapes Your Faith?
Who shapes your faith? Deep in your most inward core of your being, the center closest to God, the Creator, who are you? Who influenced how you live from that tender place? What you believe. How you think. How you perceive others, the world, and even yourself. Reflecting on who shaped/shapes us (both past and present tense) is a powerful question revealing insights into ourselves and why we think and act when we are on autopilot. That default mode leads many of our daily decisions and in the long run, forms the direction of our life. This also affect our intentional actions but to be honest, often we exist quite mindlessly. Many of us will note our parents and grandparents as part of this list. Maybe a significant teacher or mentor. Sometimes an important event, ah-ha moment, or momentous situation contributed to our bent. I know even my silent still times with God formed and continues to form my heart. Other Writers Shape our Faith Writers, both current and … [Read more...]
GO – A New Spiritual Practice
Go is my word of the year. I wrote about this practice last week but today want to expand on how this word will guide me in 2021. At first I thought this was too simplistic, but I kept hearing it. Feeling its energy. This word invites me forward with hope, liveliness, and power. GO symbolizes a new spiritual practice for me. As I prayed about choosing a word for the year, God (interesting to pay attention to the first two letters in the word GOD) asked me to watch for his grace. To daily watch for his touch, gifts, presence throughout the day. Grace Observed. In essence this mean to ask myself: Where am I seeing grace each day? Grace Observed draws my eyes from my ego, self-pity, and what I don't have or what I have lost and helps me see grace in every place. To appreciate all that God provides - visible and invisible. Forgotten, then remembered. Cherished instead of neglected. I have had fun playing with this word – another confirmation of this power in this word and … [Read more...]
2021 Choosing One Word as a LAMP
Do you choose one word or short phrase to frame the coming year ahead? I have chosen one word for a number of years. In fact, last year I shared a decade of this practice. Most years the selected word amazes me in how it shapes my point of view and directs my steps. The word represents where my heart and soul are right now and more importantly what I am desiring to be over the next 12 months and how God is shaping and transforming me. There are many resources to help you chose. Click on these links to read a few articles. I know other bloggers follow this practice and I am especially excited to participate in a regular reflection of my word along with kindred spirit Lisa Burgess. Clicking here will lead you to sign up for her monthly email and questions for reflection to share and keep your word front and center throughout the year. Thank you, Lisa,! Lisa wrote this blog post last week titled "3 Steps to Choose One Word for 2021" and used the delightful … [Read more...]
Advent Adventure
Advent is here and I am ready for an adventure. Advent is the four weeks before the celebration of the birth of Jesus. November 29 was the first Sunday in this season this year and on our online church service, we lit the first of the four candles surrounding the white Christ candle. The candles symbolize joy, hope, peace, and love. I dug out my home Advent wreath and began with the first candle here too. 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. I like the concept of adventure too. An adventure means to take the chance and enter into an exciting and possibly lifechanging experience. The word adventure comes from the Latin word ‘adventurus’ meaning ‘a thing about to happen’. I am ready to cast off 2020 and move forward into new direction. "A new … [Read more...]
A Spiritual Side Dish for Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. I love the family getting together. The delicious smells showering my kitchen. The turkey browning in the oven. The laughter and chatter even while washing the dishes and scrubbing the pans. I smile with the memories of past holidays with loved ones now in heaven and still in our hearts. And of course, the side dishes. We will have my sister in law's sweet potato dish. Katie's homemade pumpkin pie. My mom's crockpot dressing. Good ol' green bean casserole and our family joke about needing the recipe to make it just right (We don't really but we always cut it out of the magazine ads each year and send it to each other) And cranberry jello the grandkids request and we all enjoy. Gratitude for all God's gifts overwhelmed my heart this week as I got out the recipes and made these plans for Thursday. Thank you for family. Thank you for the ones not in our near bubble we can't be with this year. We miss them. Thank you for … [Read more...]
Hello! November 21 is World Hello Day!
Hello! A simple delightful greeting we all say. I didn't know though until recently that November 21 celebrated this word. November 21 is the 48th annual World Hello Day. The purpose of this day is simple – to encourage communication and dialogue between people of different backgrounds in order to achieve peace and understanding. And we all need peace and understanding especially in turbulent times like we have experienced this year. World Hello Day began in 1973 as a simple response to the conflict between Egypt and Israel. The conflict was called the Yom Kippur War. Two brothers, Brian McCormack and Michael McCormack, founded World Hello Day. They mailed 1360 letters in 7 languages to encourage world leaders to participate. Today it is a global expression of peace in 180 countries. Did you know that: This is one of the first words a baby says. My kids started with Da-da but learned early on how to wave hello and bye-bye.Thomas Edison was the first to say this word … [Read more...]