I almost didn’t open Richard Rohr’s email about how to get through the next few months. So many voices telling us what to do, I resist advice. Perhaps you also tire of well-intentioned messages. But Rohr’s words ring true: “Stand as a sentry at the door of your senses for these coming months, so ‘the blood-dimmed tide’ cannot make
Read MoreI have been thinking about investing. Our time, our energy, our money. Who invested in me? I fondly remember walking properties in the Northwest, listening to my grandfather describe the importance of a reliable water source- a deep well, a natural spring that never dried up. We clambered through construction sites, learning how to translate rough framing
Read MoreWhat would entice you to sign up for a virtual conference? I’ve wondered this, myself. I am an in-person kind of person. I like to survey the snacks, find my place at the table, flip through the handouts, arrange an assortment of beverages around me. I resist online training. There are advantages to Zoom; I realize this, with
Read MoreMost mornings, after coffee and reading scripture on my own, I listen to Pray as You Go while walking, running, or exploring a park. “Today is Tuesday the 1 September, in the 22nd week of Ordinary Time.” But it’s not. For most of us. Anything approaching ordinary time. Far from it. I listen to the birds. They
Read MoreSunlight filters through the trees. Things are heating up again, a big August burst before fall. There are moments when things seem normal. But mostly not. It has been so long since I have seen you. I hear the longing in the New Testament letters. But also gratitude. Encouragement. Strengthening communities across the distance. But
Read MoreAs we try to make sense of our new reality, Paige Weston contemplates the meaning of memorial services, and how we can re-imagine the rituals that help us process the huge changes in our lives. May her musings be a help and a comfort to us on this journey. -Renée The day after the graveside
Read MoreHow do we experience Christ, and God’s care for us? Glor Franczak relays how the pandemic has affected her- managing technology and an extensive web of friends and helpers that coordinate her daily details of living. Through these, God’s blessings flow. Thank you, Glor, for sharing the everyday graces of your life.-Renée Even before the COVID-19
Read MoreThese times invite us to reflect on how we were raised, and the history that has formed us. In this poem, Victor Fein explores his first memories of racism, taught to him as a child on an unfamiliar journey. May we continue to listen to each other’s stories, as we seek the Spirit to lead us
Read MoreSocial workers are taught to take notice of their own feelings evoked by a client or situation. If we can step back and look at our reactions, we can better understand how other people feel. This tunes us to the client’s own emotional state, and how other people experience them. So deliver this word to
Read MoreAs Donna has passed on, Ron shares briefly below. He requests no flowers or further meals, but at the end gives a place to send memorials. Addresses for cards to the Simkins kids and Ron conclude this email. May the Comforter uphold each and all who grieve. -Renée Hi All,The love of my life, Donna,
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