Jesus calls us to praise and prayer, to song and silence; Jesus calls us to worship. Jesus calls us to hearing and healing, to service and solidarity; Jesus calls us to love. Jesus calls us to advocacy and action, to protest and provision; Jesus calls us to justice. Let us heed the call of Christ.…
Isaiah 9:1-4 When the Advent worship planning team looked ahead to January, we were drawn to images of light. And this passage from Isaiah caught our eye: The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness— on them light has shined. Oh. We…
*Please join with me in this prayer, offered by my friend and spiritual director, Ulysses Castillo: Dearest Lord, whose glory is in all the world, we commend this nation to your merciful care, that, being guided by your hand, we will open our eyes and learn again what it is to be a nation of…
*This post is excerpted from a sermon on John 1:29-42. These days, we hear the phrase “Lamb of God” most often during Lent. We connect it to Jesus as the “suffering servant” of Isaiah 53, and it conjures up images of Jesus’ bloody body hanging on the cross. I can’t imagine, though, that this is…
For about six months now, a small group of folks has gathered virtually on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings for morning prayer. This practice was sparked by my prayers with the monks at St. John’s Abbey. While online prayer is certainly not the same as gathering in person, these brief morning meetings have become an…
Last week, I read in the Christian Century about: Christians being imprisoned and beaten in the Mosul region of Iraq. Muslim sheikhs, imams and preachers disappearing at the Kenya-Somalia border. Protestant pastors who had lived in Turkey for years forced out of the country. Members of the B’hai faith being imprisoned and threatened in…
The magi, with their fine robes and sparkling gifts, are favorite characters in our Christmas stories and songs and decorations (even if they did show up long after the shepherds). But a careful reading of the text (Matthew 2:1-12) reveals that the magi aren’t necessarily the stars of this beloved story. Based upon stage…
God of new life, God of life made new, We begin this new year as we ended the last– embraced by your spirit of love your presence of peace your gentle power. We leave behind the old year with prayers of gratitude for the love we have known, with prayers for mercy in the pain…
I’m memorizing Luke 2:1-16 for our Christmas Eve service. Maybe that sounds impressive, but the truth is I know most of it already: “In those days, a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. . . .” It’s a familiar story. Comfortable language. A rhythm and a cadence that’s…
When our spirits despair and we deny our blessedness, Forgive us, O God. When we ignore the mighty things you have done, When we doubt your mercy, Forgive us, O God. When we are proud in the thoughts of our hearts, When our power rests on the oppression of others, When our wealth causes others…
Spacious Faith 