spirituality

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Positioning the Nativity

I remember the year that we bought a beautiful and somewhat large-figured nativity set for Christmas. I had unpacked and set it up on a piece of furniture in the dining room and I suppose without thinking through how to position the animals and humans around the manger, I had them placed some of them – probably all but Mary and Joseph – facing outward from Baby Jesus, toward the viewer. One day I noticed these were all turned around...

You Are Blessed on Your Way…

I’m captivated by ideas about life being a journey.  I contemplate references in writings to mothers.  I gravitate toward recognition of commonality of human thoughts and experiences with the Creator. __________ In recent readings I was reminded of a hymn, “Now Thank We All Our God.” It has been ages since I’ve thought of this one, having learned it at one point in high school choir. As I found a good version to listen again, I contemplated one of the...

Violent Words

I woke up this morning to find this article when I checked for an update on the tragic deaths of (presumably some or many being children since I read last night that 12 adults and 13 pediatric cases were transported, at that point) were now at five from last night’s rampage upon people by a fast-moving red SUV during a Christmas parade in Waunesha, Wisconsin. I now saw another headline this morning…five dead and forty injured… I learned – among...

Timeless Distilled Theology

Today in the late afternoon after being indoors focusing on mentally draining tasks and absorbed in backburner melancholies of sorts, I just had to get outside for my daily dose of that which is good for my soul. With so many outdoor tasks calling to me in the autumn as preparations for winter hasten, I found myself gravitating toward going into my small back pasture area to continue picking up black walnuts and shagbark hickories. I suppose my older son’s...

Jesus, Our Mediator

Our relationship with Jesus is the most personal and precious and open and vulnerable relationship we can imagine and cultivate.  In my view, it is one where there are no rules.  No right or wrong way to talk to Him and with Him.Because we can trust that the gentlest of hands – His hands – will sift through the wheat and the chaff of our expressions – keeping and especially acting upon what He knows to be good, right and...