Spiritual Practices

The Sound of Awakening

I’ve grown to see Lent as an awakening. Not the gentle stirring kind, but the kind that calls you out of sleep. It is a season when we allow God to shake us out of numbness. It’s an invitation to be honest about injustice, suffering, and the places where fear and control shape us more than love does. Lent is an invitation to listen again to God’s beckoning voice. Psalm 81 is an invitation to awakening. It begins in joyful song, but then the tone shifts.

37 minutes ago5 min read

Drawing from the Well of our Ancestors

It’s interesting to imagine Jesus sitting by the well that day, thirsty and without a bucket to draw water. He may have been waiting for a kind stranger to come along, confronting the very real feeling of thirst. When you’re parched, it’s hard to think straight; your mouth feels dry, making it difficult to speak. This aspect of the story is significant: Jesus was thirsty. While we often contemplate Jesus’s divinity—being God incarnate—it's important to remember that he had a

1 day ago5 min read

Finding Rest in the Wilderness

Are you tired? I’m tired. I come to this reflection - and this Lenten season - feeling much like Bilbo Baggins in The Fellowship of the Ring. “I feel thin, sort of stretched… Like butter spread over too much bread.” I’m not feeling stretched because of some fantastical ring, but because of the product of my own choices - what I say ‘yes’ to and what I say ‘no’ to. I say ‘yes’ to too many things, and then I live with the consequences later. It is so easy to get caught up in th

2 days ago5 min read

Who has the Final Word?

In a time when our country feels like a house divided against itself, Colossians 1:15–23 offers a grounding truth that cuts through the noise of the news cycle. We are currently surrounded by "thrones, powers, rulers, and authorities"—forces that Paul specifically mentions in verse 16. In our modern context, these are the political machines, the polarized media, and the ideologies that demand we choose a side and treat the "other" as an enemy.

4 days ago3 min read

This artwork is a famous plaster relief sculpture titled Le Silence (Silence), created by French artist Auguste Préault between 1842 and 1843.

God is Creating – Pay Close Attention Now!

Look at the list of Isaiah’s vision: no more weeping, anguish, no more premature death of babies, elders will live a long life, home ownership, planting of food that you can grow and eat, work satisfaction, blessed children and grandchildren, and God hearing and answering prayers. These are probably things we have not taken the time to reflect on, but now, during this Lenten season, you have the opportunity to reflect. Now that you have seen Isaiah’s list, what will you add

6 days ago3 min read

I Lift Up My Eyes to the Hills

For many of us, Lent is a season of inward focus and reflection, taking inventory of our souls, our discipleship, and our lives. In a perfect world, setting aside one of our usual daily pleasures would help us be less distracted and better focus on how we are really doing at our core. This is a valuable process that creates opportunities for healing and transformation. But looking inward can also make us a little too self-absorbed. Psalm 121 offers a helpful perspective on o

Feb 282 min read

Welcoming Discomfort & Hearing from the Holy Spirit

After Jesus’ baptism, and before the start of his public ministry, Jesus is led by the Spirit into the wilderness. I believe God sent Jesus into the wilderness to spend time in God’s presence, free from distractions. I believe the wilderness is a place where God chooses to meet with God’s beloveds. In this situation, God wants Jesus to know that he can rely on his Holy Parent for everything he needs. After 40 days of solitude in the desert, Jesus may have felt connected to t

Feb 225 min read

Seeing Others as We are Seen; Loving as We are Loved

Imagine yourself in Matthew 8:14-17: “When Jesus entered Peter’s house, he saw his mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever; he touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she got up and began to serve him. That evening, they brought to him many who were possessed by demons, and he cast out the spirits with a word and cured all who were sick. This was to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah, “He took our infirmities and bore our diseases.”

Dec 17, 20253 min read

Listen to the Voice

Isaiah 40:1-11--Today I invite you to read this passage of scripture slowly and aloud and in small sections. Perhaps you can imagine yourself in the place of the author. Imagine yourself sitting somewhere with a pen and parchment, and you and God having this conversation. Perhaps you even write this passage of scripture by hand and then read it aloud.

Dec 6, 20253 min read