“The two lines that are drawn upon our foreheads with this dust are in the shape of a cross—reminding us of a love that never gives up on us, ever, that calls us to new life even as we remember our bodily mortality. It is on that cross that we are drawn straight into the open embrace of Jesus, with his arms outstretched upon that cross, showing us that Love Always Wins.”
“In this Sunday’s gospel reading, we see one of the most astounding perception-shifting passages in the Bible, and that is saying something. Jesus has been hinting to the disciples that he is more than what he seems to be, but they don’t get it. And let’s be fair—why should they? There certainly hasn’t been anyone like Jesus before.”
“The consensus eventually was that you can overcome having high academic aptitude by hard work, but there was no shortcut to kindness.”
“O God, You cover the earth in snow like a blanket:
cover us with your wing as the storms pass,
both within and without.
The earth rests beneath the snow,
gathering itself to burst forth in new life:
enliven our spirits to take up our work
in your kingdom…”
“I remember that even as we long for our oneness with God, God too longs for us, and reminds us that we are both beloved, and safe.”
“If you read between the lines, however, it seems that the psalmist actually feels threatened and endangered, and is trying to build up his own confidence by giving himself a pep talk to remind himself that there is nothing to fear. Language about being endangered and afraid is implied in every verse. The psalmist seems to be screwing up his courage in the face of some sort of terror.”
“Come and see” is not a command for the world to come to us—and that’s not how our peripatetic teacher and Savior, Jesus from no-account Nazareth, operated, either. “Come and see” calls us ourselves to be swept up in the unbounded vista of God’s saving love, for only in embracing the mystery of God’s love can we truly dare to share with others the wonders of grace and truth.
“May we persevere in reflecting your light, Lord Jesus,
in all we do and say,
by embodying compassion and integrity,
resisting the forces of evil and injustice,
and serving each other and You in humility and hope.”
“It’s the turning of a new year. It’s the turning of a new decade, on a gorgeous blue planet turning on its axis while turning from the winter solstice toward lengthening days as we travel around the sun. It’s no surprise, then, that this is a time of year for us to consider turning in our own lives.”
“As we struggle to make our way in this world, may we remember that, if we are to remain true to our calling as Christians, we are called to testify to the light of God —to testify to it, to amplify it, to embody it, to nurture it, to be guided by it—to sing that light out as gratefully and whole-heartedly as the songbirds.”