“The first mention we have of her is during what we call “The Annunciation,” when an angel appeared to her from God and told her that she was chosen by God to be the mother of God’s son. From what we read in the gospel, Mary questioned the whole thing but meekly accepted the situation. I often wonder what she would have said had this event happened a millennium or so in the future.”
“Seeing that baby sneeze on the television program made me look for the small flashes of joy that can pop up anywhere and everywhere. I’ve noticed my dreams have begun to be happier and more thoughtful. I’ve found moments of pleasure and enjoyment, however brief, have come more frequently. I think I’ve found a kind of mustard seed all my own that grows like faith.”
“It’s a comfort to me to know that God’s heart and hands are big enough and loving enough to enclose all of us, no matter whether I think they are unworthy, rotten to the core, or uncaring about anyone other than themselves. God doesn’t always seem to protect the prophets who try to draw attention to things Christians and others should pay attention to, but that has often been the plight of prophets since the job of prophet first appeared.”
“Jesus looked for leaders who were open-minded, willing to learn, to change, and to teach others. He looked for those who understood his teachings and then demonstrated them without expecting compliments or praise.”
I can see what frustrated the prophets of old who could, with the help of God, clearly see what was happening yet were seemingly unable to make the people see it too, much less change their ways.
“It always happens to me. I start slowly, but as the end of the training gets closer, I try to absorb more and more like a dry sponge while striving to be a cat herder for my own thoughts and questions. More and more, all of us realized that what we had was a ministry that didn’t require three years of seminary and an ordination to do. I, like the others in the training group, feel we have been called by God to do this ministry of helping others learn what they believe, where that belief came from, and how what they learn can strengthen their faith and commitment.”
“Jesus did not preach a gospel of prosperity but of giving away, sharing with one another so that no one would suffer from needing help. God gave us the independence to respond to those teachings positively or negatively. Those who followed them found that “perfect freedom” that comes from God.”
“For many years, Hill served as both an organist and an interpreter for Episcopal services on the reservation. He believed that his serving as the sachem (chief) of his tribe and a member of church councils gave him a unique opportunity to bridge the gap between the tribe and the white community. He also considered that by becoming a deacon, that bridge might become even stronger between the two cultures. He was ordained to the diaconate in 1895 (July 27), and in 1903 he was made a priest, the first of his people to be so consecrated. Hill spoke his ordination vows in his native Oneida language.”
“Proverbs is one book of the Bible that has something for just about every occasion. In looking up the word “joy,” I found, “A glad heart makes a cheerful countenance, but by sorrow of heart the spirit is broken. The mind of one who has understanding seeks knowledge, but the mouths of fools feed on folly. All the days of the poor are hard, but a cheerful heart has a continual feast” (15:13-15).”
“We have times of day when God reminds us to stop, breathe, look for the blessings, and enjoy what God is given us at that time. The whole thing was God’s plan from the beginning, so shouldn’t we be kind enough and observant enough to stop, take advantage of it, and add a little thank you from time to time during the day? It’s so easy to take a deep breath and send up a mental “Thank you,” all at the same time.”