Category: Speaking to the Soul

“She tried her best to let Balaam know that something was wrong, but he only understood that she was not obeying his command to move ahead. Finally, God gave her the words to make Balaam stop and think about his anger and how unjustified it was, given the length of time he and the donkey had been working together. She also gave him an awareness that she had seen something he had not, and that her behavior was not just a whim but rather a sign that he missed.”

“To everything there is a season,” muses the Teacher in Ecclesiastes, “and a time for every purpose under heaven: a time to plant, a time to pluck up what is planted; ​​a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and time to dance….”

“Death was a part of life. And for us, falling to sleep each night is a dress rehearsal. You close your eyes, let go, and give yourself over to something greater.”

“How often do you get the chance to simply wander? To open your eyes to the beauty of the sun’s rays on the grass, the water rippling on the lake, the vibrant blue of a butterfly wing.”

“And that is what Jesus is saying when he says don’t worry, be happy. God has it all worked out, and God’s mind is higher than ours (Isa. 55: 8), and the supernal beauty of an ordinary field is beyond the imagination of the best artist.”

“As we muse on it, letting God’s word inform our lives, we are brought to the understanding that the beggar at our doors is our responsibility.  This can be any doors: the doors to our nation, our community, our homes, or our hearts. We are called to unlock, open up, to be in relationship, and to give generously.”

“Women like the Desert Mothers were known for centuries for their wisdom and sometimes rather pithy sayings. They are being sought out again today for those sayings which speak to a world very different from the desert hermitages and communities in which they lived. The voices of women, silenced for many generations, have been resurrected and used for guidance in the way of faith.”

“With even a small change we can sometimes be put off kilter, or just uncomfortable. Yet, looking towards the fall I’m reminded that change is good and beautiful. The changing season invites us to trust God with what was, what is, and what is to come.”

“This passage, and probably the whole Sermon, has been used by biblical literalists as a tool of oppression, judgement, and punishment. Is that what Jesus had in mind with all the warnings about being tried before the Council? He, himself, was victim of such literal understanding of the Law.”