“Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away.’ … I have told you this before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe.” – John 14:27b-29 (NRSV) It’s the speech that I call The Great Assurance – Jesus’ efforts to prepare, to steady, and to comfort those closest to him before the you-know-what hits the fan. “You have heard me say, ‘It’s going to be bad.’ I’m telling you again – it’s going to be bad – so that when the bad begins and when the bad overwhelms you, you’ll be prepared to hold on to love and remember that yo ..read more

Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness… Enter God’s gates with thanksgiving. Psalm 100:1-2, 4 (NRSV) I was tired before the pandemic overtook our days, our news, our livelihoods. Far from dancing my way into God’s presence, I was crawling to the gates with my body tired and my tongue dry. Maybe you were too. Maybe you are now. Thank goodness – thank God – that all the earth is still making its own joyful noise, chirping and thrumming and blooming and waving without minding our weariness. Across the street from my home, the neighbor’s yard is resplendent ..read more

This day, too, is a resurrection, therefore we praise the Most Holy Miracle. This breath, and this one, is a promise fulfilled. Praise and thanks to Life Eternal. These tears are a baptism that make holy our dusty humanity; And this crusty loaf of bread, broken and shared again, is an ongoing revelation until we understand. For the hours and the milestones that mark this journey, we praise the Holy Mystery. cross-posted at RevGalBlogPals ..read more

We do not see! We do not understand! We do not know which signs are true! Peace be with you. We cannot believe! We cannot find our grounding! We cannot discern the path forward! Peace be with you. Information is lacking! Too many liars claim expertise! Conspiracy theories confuse our spirits! Peace be with you. O Christ, sweet Jesus, is it really peace that you wish for us in these days of distress — peace and not knowledge, peace and not certainty, peace and not confidence? Our hearts are weary with turmoil, and still the world’s rage has not reached its crest. Is it really peace that will sa ..read more

The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; I have a goodly heritage. – Psalm 16:5-6 (NRSV) My preferred cup is venti-sized, with a green mermaid on the side. I know what people say about her, of course. I know what people say about those of us who love her and visit her often. I’m clear about her impact on my wallet. But still I appreciate the comfort of her constancy and the satisfaction of enjoying the hot caffeinated beverages she provides. In these days when nothing is constant, a single cup of constancy feels luxuri ..read more

Glory! Life begun! Sing hallelujah! The grave has given birth, the tomb has revealed life, the tears have watered joy. Glory! Life eternal! Sing hallelujah! Heaven is unwavering, wonder is imperishable, love is not weary. Glory! Life temporal! Sing hallelujah! Every breath is new, the dust is a miracle, our stories continue. Glory! Life resurrected! Sing hallelujah! Hope forbears for another day, earth turns from dawn to dusk, faith holds on through fear. Glory! Hallelujah! cross-posted at RevGalBlogPals ..read more

You promised, God. You promised. Yet we look backward, we look forward, we look side to side, and surrounding us are the floodwaters of violence and the rains of despair. You promised to remember, but we are drowning. You promised to remember, but we are dying — death mocks us and fools bet against us. Remember us, God. Remember. We remember you ..read more

Cheers to the causes that bring us together as unlikely allies — and blessings on the bread that keeps us seated around the same table. Cheers to the wounds that humble us all to ashes — and blessings on the deep cup that revives us to show up for another day. Cheers to the sword that bars heaven from the taint of hell — and blessings on the prayers that bleed between us to repair Eden again ..read more

Open to God a heart of praise and a gate of generosity. O give thanks to the One who is good, whose steadfast love endures forever. Come to God’s side with a coat and a colt and a shout. O give thanks to the One who is good, whose steadfast love endures forever. Bless God’s name with falling tears and fallen branches. O give thanks to the One who is good, whose steadfast love endures forever. Find the whisper in your soul that holds onto wild hope. O give thanks to the One who is good, whose steadfast love endures forever. Extol God’s love, spread before you in life and death. O give thanks to ..read more

Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress; my eye wastes away from grief, my soul and body also. For my life is spent with sorrow, and my years with sighing; my strength fails because of my misery, and my bones waste away. – Psalm 31:9-10 (NRSV) I do not wish the Pit of Despair on anyone—neither The Princess Bride version, nor the poetic biblical version, nor the version I’ve experienced: major depressive disorder. The depth of depression’s hopelessness is a Mariana Trench beneath a vast ocean, a place in which there are no guiding lights, a pressure under which breath is labored, a real ..read more