Below you will find what I am currently wondering and writing about.
With
"He is not here; for He has been raised, as He said." —Matthew 28:6 Everything seemed to be going so wrong, until suddenly it wasn't. Mystified, they stood in the presence of a resurrected Savior, the Galilean man who had been their friend. In a turn: that which had...
Parched
Dry and dry and dry in each direction. Dust dry. Desert dry. Bone dry... —Jan Richardson, Where the Breath Begins) Have you ever stood on ground so dry that water flowing over it would not have a chance of penetrating it? Have you felt such dust in your...
Going Under
When I was very little I learned to swim underwater from one end of the pool to the other. I did not yet know how to swim on the surface, but was surprisingly proficient two feet under it. I would climb down the ladder at the deep end of my grandparents' pool, take a...
Dissatisfied
I have a confession to make. I am dissatisfied way too often. Surrounded by bounty and abundance, I focus on scarcity, scanning the horizon for what might be more, or better. Failing to acknowledge the good that God has placed so faithfully right there at my feet, I...
Straight Paths
Lately I've had paths on my mind. Straight ones in particular. Before Jesus began his public ministry, John the Baptist came preaching repentance because the kingdom of heaven had come near. Quoting the prophet Isaiah, John cried, "Prepare the way for the Lord; make...
The Dark Day
Have you ever heard of "The New England Dark Day"? The sun came up as usual on May 19, 1780, but then the skies over the northeastern seaboard darkened as far north as Portland, Maine and as far south as New Jersey. George Washington apparently wrote about it in his...
Behold Your King!
"Hail, the heav'n-born Prince of Peace! Hail, the Sun of Righteousness! light and life to all he brings, ris'n with healing in his wings. Mild he lays his glory by, born that man no more may die, born to raise the sons of earth, born to give them second birth. Hark!...
Traces
"trace noun 1. a mark, object, or other indication of the existence or passing of something." (Oxford Languages Dictionary) On this last Sunday of Advent, today is a perfect day to look backwards for traces. While the excitement of the Christmas celebration entices...
Room
Christmas is fast approaching; are you still making room? As the season presses in, are you still holding space to quietly wait and watch for Christ’s arrival? How might you stay with the anticipation in these last hours of Advent? Pause to imagine yourself out in a...
Shadow and Light
Christmas is a celebration of bright joy and effulgent light. The brilliant star of the arrival of Christ outshines all other lights we can know. How, then, in this season of Advent, do we make sense of the darkness and doubt that lurk all around us, perhaps within...
All Creation
Can stones really cry out? Could mountains actually sing, and trees actually applaud? Does all creation, as it happens, wait with us for Jesus' return? While we go about our daily, weekly, regular rhythms of preparing room for Jesus, is nature doing the same? Living...
Treasured
Do you believe—can you believe?—that you are treasured by God? That He chose you as his treasured possession? The Lord of the universe so rejoices in his love for you that He sings over you with loud shouts of joy. Rest with this image for a moment today: "Sing aloud,...
Near
Where do you go when you want to be with God? What helps you feel He is near? There are numerous ways in which a Christian believer might feel connected with God in any given moment. A most important way is in reading and hearing God's Word. Who God is and how He...
Far
Do you sometimes feel far from God? Does He feel far from you? There have been stretches in my faith journey in which I have not been able to feel God's presence. I knew cognitively that He is always with me and promises never to leave, but my heart did not share that...
Pursued
Receive today these beautiful words about how the God of the universe pursues us with his steadfast love. "I am the Lord your God, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar— the Lord of hosts is his name.And I have put my words in your mouth and covered you...
Preparations
Imagine you have just discovered that Jesus is indeed arriving at your home today. After recovering from the initial amazement, which preparations would you frantically begin scurrying around to complete? Would you set out to perform a full-on proverbial...
Inviters
So, we've talked about Advent being about waiting & watching and about God's invitation to enter into a greater awareness of Him. You may also recall that I described this season as a time in which we create more space for God; we open ourselves and make ourselves...
Invited
Today is the first Sunday in Advent. This year's season is twenty-two days long, stretching from the fourth Sunday before Christmas until Christmas Eve. Twenty-two days of waiting, of watching, of inward and outward preparation for the arrival of the incarnate Christ....
Anticipate
Modern culture urges us to rush into Christmas, bullying us into decorating and shopping earlier each year. But God invites us instead to walk slowly, savoring each step, as we experience the anticipation of the Advent season. What role might anticipation play in your...
On the Shore by the Sea
I stood on the shore by the sea. It was the town where Peter had lived, where a lame man had been lowered through a roof, where Jesus had healed the centurion’s servant from a distance: Capernaum. And I stood on its shore, where its rocky strand met the waters of...
A Tree by the Street Where I Grew Up
There is a tree by the street where I grew up. It is a tall maple, with limbs high and low. When I was little, it was a perfect tree for climbing and I found myself up in its high places many an afternoon after school. It was there I became a contemplative without...