Guilt is a peculiar thing. Like fire, it fascinates us at a distance, but we quickly draw our hand away when it gets too close.
Our biblical introduction to guilt speaks clearly to our human instincts. When God confronts the Man and the Woman in the Garden, they rush to exonerate themselves. Instead of asking why…..
As we begin Lent this Ash Wednesday, I’m reminded what a contrast this waiting period makes against Advent with all its festivities and merriment. Many traditions recommend giving up something during this period – a kind of antidote to the indulgences of the run-up to Christmas.
Since it’s never been part of my…..
While looking for inspiration this week I decided to open the Bible randomly and see what turned up. I came to Psalm 77:11-12 (The Message):
Once again I’ll go over what God has done,
Lay out on the table the ancient wonders;
I’ll ponder all the things you’ve accomplished,
…..
We know that God listens but we also know that we can’t make the Lord do something for us. Often when a prayer we say isn’t granted we discover that God helps us nonetheless, in a way we hadn’t expected. But we can’t help wondering …
Do we ever change God’s…..
Does it matter what we pray for?
Do I have a right to ask something of God when I already enjoy so many blessings? Am I somehow becoming greedy when I pray for something for myself? Isn’t it silly to request small favors from God when so many big problems loom over our world?
Pious…..
When Harry Potter studies spell making at Hogwarts, he has to get the words right. Incantations don’t work unless pronounced precisely. Yet, for all the effort of perfecting this art, the young wizard or witch harnesses real power. No wonder “magic” has seduced human imagination from ancient folklore to modern day…..
Once we’ve committed to pursuing the “musts” in our life and acknowledged that we can’t do them without God’s input, our next step involves figuring our how to ask for that help. In other words, we can’t go forward without engaging in prayer. But, it turns out that most of us feel at a loss…..
Last week I talked about choosing the internal “musts” over the external “shoulds” that vie for our time and treasure, but is that always a viable choice?
Philosopher Immanuel Kant’s asserted: “ought implies can,” meaning that if someone – God, society, etc. – places a moral imperative on us,…..
An Imagining of Mary’s sister, referenced in John 19:25
Mary and Joseph must be in Bethlehem by now. She could have the baby any day now.
It aches that they’ve left, that Mary won’t be here to have the babe. It meant so much to me to have all…..
This week I look at Mary’s courage in the making of that first Christmas.
An Imagining based on Luke 1:26-58; 2:1-5
When I was a little girl I remember so clearly my father talking about how much he wished the Lord would send His Messiah to us soon. Then, my mother would…..