Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” But they did not understand what he was saying to them. Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. And Jesus […]
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To the Hills
I lift up my eyes to the hills; from where does my help come? Psalm 121:1 Today I literally made space. I helped to clean out a huge closet that was stuffed floor-to-ceiling with moving boxes. We unpacked the boxes, figured out where each thing should go in our still new-to-us home, and determined what […]
When My Eyes Were Healed
As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. But they urged him strongly, saying, ‘Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.’ So he went in to stay with them. When he was at the table […]
Positive Light
You, O God, are my strength and my shield; in you my heart trusts; so I am helped, and my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to you. Psalm 28:7 Two years ago, I told a friend I foresaw a shared living arrangement in my near future. Less than six months later, […]
Words of Wisdom from “Making Space”
Dear friends, One of my favorite aspects of Lent is our tradition of offering a daily devotional, with each day’s entry prepared by a member of our congregation. Even though I see them in advance, it is still a joy each morning to open my email to see whose devotion appears. I love the diverse […]
To Tread the Gospel Way
Mark 11:1-10; Joshua 4:19-23; Revelation 19:11a,16 “King Jesus rides on a milk-white horse.” The choir sings with great enthusiasm, and more than a little confusion. They know the scripture coming right after the anthem is about Jesus coming into Jerusalem on a donkey. They also know, from many years of Palm Sunday dramatic re-enactments, that […]
For Our Lives
Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it; and he sat on it. Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut in the fields. Then those who went ahead and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who […]
Where to Start
But strive first for the kingdom of God and its righteousness, and these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33 A few weeks ago, Shane offered a Words with the Young People with a vivid metaphor for “putting first things first.” He started with two identical vases, each with a few larger […]
Through the Storm
What are human beings, that you make so much of them, that you set your mind on them, visit them every morning, test them every moment? Job 7:17-18 I worked alongside and became friends with Andy several years before I learned his backstory. I knew him to be a deeply faithful man, a very supportive […]
Spiral Mollusk
And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in divine and human favor. Luke 2:52 Art Norton sent this photo following our worship service on Sunday, March 11th, in which the choir sang a piece based on a poem by Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr., using the growth of the shell of a nautilus shell as […]