What did God mean when He spoke me?
What right have I to be here on this earth? Here, taking up space, demanding time, using resources. What right have I to demand that things be done my way? according to my plan, within my specifications, according to my schedule. I have no right to these. Not any claim on these. Any more than […]
More than alive
I need to see some evidence of life before I can declare it alive. The textbook says that a thing must move, grow, reproduce, metabolize, and respond to stimuli to qualify as alive. I need to … move through difficulty and ease grow in spirit and in strength reproduce and mentor to replace partake only my portion […]
Flailing in the Shallows
Oh, there’s something between us, Mommy, I can’t get to you! her eyes tell me. I try, but the waves keep coming to get me, and the sand grabs at my feet. But I love you too much not to be with you, so here I come! Stepping, then jumping then paddling then splashing the water […]
Love begets love
I know love when I am in its presence. It smiles at me, holds me in its embrace, takes my hand and wants to show me. It asks me why, tells me when, wonders how. It thanks me and nods its approval. Love leaves me smiling. Love begets love. Ah, but I know its enemy, too. […]
Ex-Poser
You know it when you read it. You haven’t heard from this friend in a looong time, but it’s nice that they are trying to reconnect. You accept their friend request and they respond pleasantly enough. “Thanks for accepting my request. How are things going with you?” You send a brief reply, intending to follow up […]
How, Lord, do we respond?
“The evil out there will not stop because of the faith in here.” ~ Tom Berlin, Easter 2016 Sermon You can’t just stand on your principles. You must act on your convictions. What will we do that we haven’t been doing? say that we haven’t been saying? to stop what’s not stopping? Renew us, in […]
Putting Practice into Play is Easier and Harder than We Think
I was told “Practice makes perfect,” so my defiant younger self quipped, “Practice makes perfect, but no one’s perfect, so why practice?” That was a) to hide my fear of being imperfect, b) to distract people from seeing all the practicing I was doing and c) to excuse myself in case that practice didn’t work. (and […]
Did the Resurrection really happen?
Does it matter if the Resurrection actually happened? This was the question we considered in my adult Sunday School class at a church I used to belong to. I was a regular at Sunday school, where we considered issues of faith and its practice as a matter of course. Sunday school was organized and led […]
Who is Watching the Sheep?
No one can blame the hired hands. They’re contractors. We’ve paid them to come and watch the sheep, to teach them to frolic and play and to keep an eye out for wolves. But we really can’t expect the hired hands who have charge of so many sheep to pay special attention to OURs, even […]
Are You Finished Yet?
What is our perfect number of days? Before we are who our families meet, and our friends know, and our partners embrace, we are complete. Completely made ready by the One who was and is and ever will be. Always. Can the end of our days ever be welcome? A just dessert, a welcome respite, a final […]