Ma'at, the Egyptian goddess of justice, truth and order, was always depicted wearing a white ostrich feather in her hair. The Egyptians believed that when they died they would enter the underworld or the Hall of the Dead where Ma’at would weigh their hearts against the weight of a feather to determine the worthiness of his or her soul. If the heart was free from the impurities of sin, and therefore lighter than the feather, then the dead person could enter the eternal afterlife. A heart could be made light as a feather by lifetime of kind deeds, love and care for the needed. Makes the expression – “lighten up”- take on new meaning, doesn’t it? My heart has been heavy lately – full of hurts, anger, and resentments. Reading this story reminded me it was time to lighten up my heart. Time to replace my negative emotions for more Christlike characteristics of kindness, gentleness, and love. Being able to find an image to describe a problem or situation I face helps me … [Read more...]
God Bends Down to Hold the Ordinary
My one-year-old granddaughter, Kyla, has been here the past three days as her parents help put on a new roof on our house. My duties while they lifted, hammered, and sweated in the hot summer sun? Babysit!!Now being a good grandma I have a collection of fun and developmental correct toys and lots of books for her. Yet what was her favorite activity? Playing in the backyard with stones. I was fascinated watching her. She looked intently at the ordinary river rocks, spied just the one she wanted and gingerly picked it up like it was the most precious stone on earth. She held it tenderly in her hands, murmur baby talk as if she knew somehow the rock would recognize the words, then lay it gently down. I have stepped on these rocks in my back yard for a number of years and never once took the time to notice the individual colors, shapes and differences. I wonder what other everyday miracles I miss. One year old Kyla reminded me, this old grandma, that paying attention is a powerful … [Read more...]
Resting In God – Lectio Divina – July 11, 2010
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 (NIV)Weary and burdened. Yes Lord that is how I feel this week. Weary from too much whirlwind traveling and demanding busyness.Burdened by consuming shifting emotions that swing wildly from deep heartbreaking hurts to indescribable joy.I read once that we are like sheep and need to remember sheep are not burden carrying animals.So this little lamb comes to You seeking Your arms of comfort and rest.I need Your strength to renew my spirit so I can continue to live as You called me.Your rest is the place I dwell and release my heavy burdens and unwind my weariness. … [Read more...]
What Does God Look Like?
How do you see God? Judy Cannato wrote in her newsletter last week, “Healthy spiritual growth is normally characterized by the evolution of images of God. Often spiritual directors ask directees to recall how their picture of the divine has changed over the decades.” What does God look like when you visualize him? Or her? The book, The Shack, shocked some people’s image of God when the author portrayed God as a black woman. When I was younger God was a tall old man with long white beard sitting off in the distance. As my spiritual walk continued, God often was a more of a companion, friend, gentle guide and encourager nurturing me slowly to grow closer to him.Last year I noticed my image of God moved away, like he was once again sitting in the corner, not close. My spiritual director encouraged me to reflect on this movement: did He move or did I? To be honest, I kept Him at arm’s length for a while during a dry spiritual period and it was only after returning to quiet meditative … [Read more...]
Praying – Exploring Different Types of Prayers – Prayer of Relinquishment
How do you pray? Often my prayers slip into comfortable routines, predictable patterns, yet prayer is all around us – like our breath. So many different ways to talk with God are waiting to explore. The following is a part of a three-week series on prayer and its many forms. Come explore with me ways to address God when words are inadequate and let’s get to know God better by spending time with Him.Reading Catherine Marshall when I was younger was the first time I read about the Prayer of Relinquishment. The dictionary tells me that when I relinquish something, like a possession or a right, I give it up. I surrender it.Catherine Marshall wrote, “…God was trying to teach me something important about prayer. Gradually I saw that a demanding spirit, with self-will as its rudder, blocks prayer….God absolutely refuses to violate our free will; that therefore, unless self-will is voluntarily given up, even God cannot move to answer prayer.”Image of this prayer is the garden of Gethsemane … [Read more...]
Celebrating Weddings – Lectio Divina
I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. Isaiah 61:10 (NIV)Today is my son, Brian’s, wedding day. He is marrying a marvelous young woman – Mandy. I am thankful and celebrating today! I delight greatly in the Lord!Apache Wedding BlessingNow you will feel no rain For each of you will be shelter to the other. Now each of you will feel no cold For each of you will be warmth to the other. Now there is no loneliness for you For each of you will be companion to the other.Now you are two persons But there is one life before you. Go now to your dwelling place to enter into the days of your togetherness And may your days be good and long upon the earth.I love you both – May God drench you with many, many happy days and surround you with His love. … [Read more...]
Praying – Exploring Different Types of Prayers – Intercessory Prayer
How do you pray? Often my prayers slip into comfortable routines, predictable patterns, yet prayer is all around us – like our breath. So many different ways to talk with God are waiting to explore. The following is a part of a three-week series on prayer and its many forms. Come explore with me ways to address God when words are inadequate and let’s get to know God better by spending time with Him.Praying for others is both an honor and responsibility many Christian take seriously. Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote about this type of prayer, “Intercessory prayer is the purifying bath into which the individual and the fellowship must enter every day.”Intercession on behalf of a fellow human being is a way of loving the other.“Prayers of intercession specifically ask God to intercede in the world. We ask in the midst of tragedies involving thousands of people or in times of struggle and disease in the life of an individual, family or community. We are asking for God's help. Sometimes we are … [Read more...]
Praying – Exploring Different Types of Prayers – Prayers of Adoration
Prayers of Adoration Let's explore different types of prayers beginning with prayers of adoration. How do you pray? Often my prayers slip into comfortable routines, predictable patterns, yet prayer is all around us – like our breath. So many different ways to talk with God are waiting to explore. The following is a part of a three-week series on prayer and its many forms. Come explore with me ways to address God when words are inadequate and let’s get to know God better by spending time with Him. At first glance you may think thankfulness and adoration are the same, but there is a difference. Adoration is the outpouring of love, worship, honor, and praise to God. Richard Foster writes, ”In one sense, adoration is not a special form of prayer, for all true prayer is saturated with it. It is the air in which prayer breathes, the sea in which prayer swims…In adoration we enter the rarefied air of selfless devotion. We ask for nothing but to cherish him. We seek … [Read more...]