As I sat in prayer today, two words arose again and again – a command, in fact, direct from the Divine. “Let go!” So my initial reaction was to hold on even more tightly. Does this ever happen to you? Sometimes it is in my spiritual life, but often it’s just in everyday living – … Continue reading Letting Go
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The Christian Soul: Mindfulness
I am taking my time this week with writing. Be on the lookout maybe this week, maybe next sometime soon on Chasing Unicorns. When you read that, you will probably see a connection to this piece by a blogger I've only just started following today. I especially like his description of his experience, but I … Continue reading The Christian Soul: Mindfulness
Prayer Practices for Congregations
Happy Resurrection Monday! After a wonderful Easter yesterday, I have a bit of a church-y post today. As you probably know by now, I am big into prayer practices. I have my own spiritual director whom I talk with monthly (going Wednesday!). I spend time in centering/silent meditation and prayer almost every day. For several … Continue reading Prayer Practices for Congregations
A Bowl of Self Care
We had to get a new dishwasher a few weeks ago. So far the only down side to this is the big hole it left in our “for the house” savings account. But since the previous dishwasher had been on its last legs for almost a year anyway, we had been saving. There is no … Continue reading A Bowl of Self Care
Are you Rootbound?
Mitch Teemly has just published a great blog on being "rootbound" -- strangled by our pasts. He suggests that we can best cut away the roots that bind us with the help of another person -- I immediately thought that's what I do in spiritual direction sometimes. Check out Rootbound And if you're feeling the … Continue reading Are you Rootbound?
Disconnected
By the time you read this, my first-world problems today will have been solved – they’ll have to be because I can’t post this until I have internet. But for some reason the wireless connection at the library where I’m spending the morning is out of commission. I have a video conference tonight and one … Continue reading Disconnected
Block by Block
My husband and son are in the midst of a major renovation project. The Trio blocks from childhood have come out and dinosaurs and farmyards are taking over our living room once again. Fact is, it has been many years since the Trios have been used, but as we seek less screen time and more … Continue reading Block by Block
Ashes
Last night while my husband placed ashes on my forehead and the forehead of our 11-year old son and we contemplated our mortality, I cried. Someone once told my husband when our son was very tiny that it was cute when he placed ashes on his little forehead. My husband realized that they didn’t understand … Continue reading Ashes
Improv on 1 Corinthians 13 for Ash Wednesday on Valentine’s Day
This is beautiful!
When I was a child, I said “I love you.”
I cut out pink and red hearts,
and gave them to everyone, even the bullies,
but when I became an adult,
I decided to make it more complicated.
If I speak in tongues of justice or spirituality,
but do not have ashes,
I am a self-congratulating vigil,
a Sunday service inspired by itself.
If I have social media outreach,
a labyrinth in the church garden,
Bible study in the brew-pub,
and, if I have a capital campaign
to remove pews, put in church chairs,
and even add a coffee shop,
but do not have ashes, I am nothing.
If I give to church-wide offerings,
and go on mission trips so that I may boast,
but do not have ashes, I gain nothing.
Ashes are awkward; ashes are dirty;
ashes, like love,
are not envious, boastful, arrogant or rude.
Ashes do not insist on a perfect Lent;
they do not even need to be in church
or a gimmick to get folks to church;
they do not inventory wrongdoing,
especially the wrongdoing of others,
but rejoice in the precious…
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By the Numbers
Late last month I went to an Enneagram workshop. The Enneagram is a way of describing basic personality types, based on ancient wisdom, about our motivations and core of our behaviors. When I first saw the chart many years ago, I thought it looked a bit like a pentagram, some spell-casting charm. It’s not, but … Continue reading By the Numbers
Openings: Let the Spirit in 