“The night is far gone,” Paul tells his Roman audience in the passage from his letter which we are contemplating today. “It is time to wake from sleep. The day is near.” For two thousand years Christians have been reading Paul’s words. Generations of folk have come and gone. Nations have risen up and fallen. …
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him. – Colossians 1:15-16 I am hearing this passage from …
We’re having a baptism this morning, our first in our new hybrid worship setting. I’ve been caught up in thinking about where we might position mics and cameras so that parents and godparents will be seen and heard as they make their promises. It’s only just now that I have begun to ponder the deeper …
“But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.” Last week a police officer came to our church to help the leadership think about protocols we might put in place to help protect us. We were …
This week I am writing an icon of St. Homobonus, a 12th Century Italian cloth merchant whose calling was to earn a lot of money so that he had the resources to give to those in need. He reminds me of Zacchaeus, the little man who climbed up into a tree to see Jesus. We …
Yesterday I was lying on the floor surrounded by Tibetan singing bowls at a healing generously offered to our small contemplative art group. A practice originating in the time of the Buddha, this singing bowl healing is meant to be a way to cleanse the chakras and bring them into harmony. Having never experienced this …
Belonging. I am of the personality type where belonging is one of my highest values, maybe the highest one. And, you know, belonging to the church is the best kind of belonging there is. It’s pretty remarkable. We’re here together doing something powerful. We’re in this mystical relationship with one another, with God at the …
Yesterday I caught myself turning away without looking. There were two resplendent fall trees side by side, lit by honeyed sunlight – a glorious display of artistry and magic by no one less than God. I had to stop myself, take a breath, and just gaze. The deep, almost purple splashes of pointy leaves of …
When I was a child, I thought that an effective petition to God came about by gathering all the force of my small will. If I could concentrate and focus and, as it were, shout at God, maybe my prayers would be answered. And then, when my turtle died anyway or we had to move …
I’m a much better listener than I am a speaker. And I like to listen in an environment where everybody is comfortable – seated, warm enough, with a glass of water, and often a lit candle to mark holy space. Nevertheless I have had a sort of relationship with a panhandler at my local grocery store. …
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