“Elizabeth Kübler-Ross observed that stained-glass windows are beautiful when the sunlight hits them. The light goes from outside in, splashing the interior with patches of color. At night, though, if the building is lit inside, the stained glass glows visible, warm, and welcoming. That is the kind of light Jesus wants us to present, just as he did through his life, ministry, death, and resurrection.”
“The most familiar verses of the prophecy of Haggai are 6-7b, which speak of the reward the faithful, but first, there would be warnings of the seas and lands of all nations. Every time I read these words, Jennens’ libretto and Handel’s solo for bass play in my ear.”
“Some churches acknowledge that this season can be much different from how most people appear to feel. The churches deliberately draw in those who grieve, feel lost, or are alone. The usual date for such services is on the winter solstice, the “Longest Night” of the year. This year that date comes on December 22nd.”
“What might it take to spend a few minutes every day to meditate on the coming of Christ and what his coming might means to us as Christians in a secular world? What might we give up doing to make time for that meditation or reflection? What might we gain by it? What might we lose by ignoring it?”
“People on the street had their own reactions. Some passed by, looking anywhere but where a sock might be and pretending that there really wasn’t anything wrong at all. Some trod a careful path through the socks, being careful not to step on any or come in contact with them at all.”
“It is one thing to read the Bible straight through and think we’ve covered it. We read strange stories with people doing things we can’t understand and can’t figure out how such things got into the word of God. But through study, consultation with commentaries, pastors, theologians, and the like, we begin to understand that there is more here than just a simple reading will provide.”
“This week what would happen if we choose not to honk at the person who cuts us off in traffic? What would it be like to give up a place in line to someone who might really need it? What if we gave a cup of hot coffee to a person begging on the street corner?”
“Regardless, people continue learning throughout their lives. Our minds change a thousand times on things both great and small. Sometimes the changes are drastic, but more they are small. We know so much more than we did when we were six, or sixteen, or even thirty-six, and we will be wiser still when we become the elders.”
“I do have faith that God is present and as close as my next breath. That’s the best reason I can think of for continuing to breathe. I don’t obey civil law because it suits me; it’s more about making things safer for others and myself.”
“God, if wishes count, could my willow tree be there too? And maybe the pine tree overlooking my river where You and I met so often when I was an adolescent? Oh, and could there be a village like Three Pines with warm and friendly people, a sense of history, and a little Anglican church, for meditation and occasional concerts? By the way, I’d love to have about half the town I grew up in as neighbors as well?”