Dear Readers, This Alfred Lord Tennyson poem written in the eighteen hundreds seems strangely fitting for our day, especially the last five verses. You might like to know that Ring Out, Wild Bells is taken from Tennyson’s long elegy, In Memoriam A. H. H., and is the last in a cycle of 133 cantos. It is a tribute to his...
By mid November, several people had told me they had already decorated for Christmas. When I expressed surprise, one person said, “Christmas just makes me happy.” Can we blame people for wanting “happy” to come early? And we’d like everything that Christmas symbolizes to stay around too! I recently heard a new song, “Christmas Every Day,” that David Archuleta released...
Fall in eastern Germany meant fog blanketing rolling fields; savoring freshly dug potatoes roasted over a fire; and riding the horse-drawn wagon, decorated with festive tree, to bring in the last crop of wheat to the barn. On Thanksgiving Sunday, farmers brought yellow and red apples, pears, bright orange pumpkins, cabbages, onions, nuts, and bundled stalks of grain to decorate...
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...
You are my Good Shepherd, and I have everything I need. With You here, I am content to lie down in green pastures and rest. When thirst rises, You gently lead me to calm waters so that I may drink. Oh, how You refresh my soul! I am utterly confident in following You because You always lead along righteous paths...
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...
Dear Readers, Joanna’s story is a fictionalized account. I was inspired by Luke 8:1-3 and Luke 24:9-10 where she is mentioned along with Mary Magdalene, Susanna, and other women who supported Jesus. Asterisks connect to further information in the end notes. Joanna*, a servant of Jesus Christ, wife of Chuza*, steward of Herod’s household, To Luke, my dear brother in...
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