“Women in the Bible were generally an overlooked group unless they were mothers or wives. We don’t even hear Tabitha’s story very often except in sequential Bible readings. Stories like hers deserve more hearing to inspire both women and men to act as Jesus taught and Tabitha exemplified.”
“During the pandemic, a good friend was diagnosed with cancer. It reminded me of the shawls I’d knitted before, so I made her one. This one was an asymmetrical shawl, a kind I’d never tried before. Still, it suggested wrapping her in love and prayers, plus something a bit quirky, much like her bubbly personality.”
“Maybe I should try to be as conscious of the Spirit as I am the annoying bird. Whether the Spirit is trying to move me away from something or toward something else, I need to pay attention. It’s as simple–and as complicated—as that.”
“As Archbishop Cranmer said, we don’t know whether the Harrowing of Hell is real, literal, corporal, spiritual, or figurative. What matters is that where there is evil, it is our job to set people free from it. Jesus did that with his resurrection, and we must try to do it before we pass into whatever God has planned for us.”
“This Palm Sunday, let us see if we are laying blame in the right places. Just as we are asked to reflect and converse with each other about our differences and how we can live together with respect, peace, and love of neighbors, let us stop and remember that painting with broad brushes when it comes to guilt or accusation is not what Jesus taught or expects us to do. May we view each other with charity, not hatred.”
“The more I look at the picture of the little plant, the more I remember, like the smell of the salt water, the gentle breeze, the bright blue water reflecting the cloudless blue sky, the crunch of sand under my feet, and the warmth of the sun. I remember the companionship of my friend and our mutual enjoyment of being together as we listened to the waves breaking gently onto the shore.”
“Today, I’ve been focusing on my allergies as a Lenten penance. They are the year-round kind but have been raging in the past couple of weeks. I’ve been having a sneeze-fest and have already gone through one box of Kleenex in the past few days.”
“I think the moon should be part of my Lenten meditations. I have loved it since I was a child, and I still love it. I am grateful to God for providing this time of rest and relative peace, with a glowing reminder of God’s eternal presence, even in the dark, whether physical darkness or an internal one.”
We’re only in the first full week of Lent, but I’m already wondering when the downward rush will end and how it will all turn out. I know I’m not the only one praying for peace and safety and for a sign that the bottom of the hill will not be a total crash. Other things are going on in the world we need to keep in our awareness, and people around us who have needs we can supply or bring to the attention of those who can help if we are unable.
This Lent is bruised and battered by thoughts of things going on in Ukraine and other places worldwide. … We ask for God’s blessings on those who suffer in any way and God’s help in bringing peace and comfort to the world.