Listen: You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in your word. NRSV (Psalm 119:114) Reflect: As a little girl, my secret hideout lay down an embankment next to the rural road where I lived. At the bottom, pussy willow trees hid me well as I sat next to a small stream that meandered through marshy vegetation. It...
Why did Simon the Pharisee invite Jesus to his home? Perhaps he saw this charismatic Rabbi more as a night of entertainment than someone he cared about personally. He seems unusually negligent in following basic etiquette to host an honored guest. What does this say about him? That he was ambivalent about Jesus, or cavalier? (Quickly read Luke 7:36-56 at...
They bring the woman caught in adultery to Jesus brandishing the scarlet letter as if triumphant about their discovery. Her shame is now exposed in front of everyone. She stands with her head lowered, eyes averted, and shoulders slumped. Defenseless against smirks, pointing fingers, and condemning words. What recourse does she have? They are telling the awful truth. And this...
Listen: Philippians 4:5: Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. (NRSV) Reflect: I’ll never forget the expert nurse who attended me when I was in labor with my youngest son. I marveled at her ability to anticipate my physical needs and the gentle way she handled me. Her attuned, peaceful presence helped me relax and eased...
Listen: Colossians 3:13 (NIV): Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. Reflect: Forgive as God forgives? Willingly, repeatedly, completely? This can feel impossible. Perhaps what amazes me most is that the Lord forgives joyfully. Hebrews 12:2 says, “for the joy set before him he...
I admire artists for their observational abilities. They notice things the less visually talented tend to miss. Do you ever wonder what it is that you might not be seeing as you walk through life? Luke 2:25-28 tells about a man with exceptional spiritual vision. The story goes like this: Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who...
Listen:I Peter 3:15, NIV: In your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do it with gentleness and respect. Reflect:The other day I attended a Zoom wedding. It was gratifying to see my friend get married again after a...
As is my tradition, the weekend of Thanksgiving I began putting up Christmas decorations. I have some favorite artificial flower arrangements. The red Amaryllis especially. After carefully extracting the arrangement from the plastic bag, I lifted it high to admire. Gasp. What? Who had nibbled the red berries? I checked the plant’s backside. A big gash in the stalk showed...
Are you uneasy about the upcoming election? Me too! Right now we are a nation holding its collective breath. Waiting, apprehensive, on edge. Events that have occurred this year can only be described as unprecedented, and November 3rd could surely follow in kind. When I talk with people I hear concern, regardless which presidential candidate they support. Our trepidation seems...
I stare out my window at the orange-tinted smoke-choked landscape. Ash from the nearby wildfire falls lightly like snow and covers my deck with debris. I check my phone. In one week, Oregon wildfires have already burned one million acres and five towns. The Air Quality Index remains fixed at “hazardous,” rivaling even India’s worst days. Not good. I inhale...
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