Maundy Thursday One of the most profound things I’ve ever heard spoken about scripture is this: God did not give us the bible we wanted; he gave us the bible we needed. So, too, is this true of Jesus. God did not give us the savior, the messiah, that the Jews expected or wanted or…
Lent 4 A 1 Samuel 16:1-13 Recently, people all across the country have been fascinated by pieces of paper with complex systems of lines on them like some sort of strange tree’s root system. Many have shouted at televisions, hung their heads in despair, or pumped their fists in the air with triumph. It is…
For Midweek Lenten Services this year we are focusing on a series of words associated with the preparation of ashes for Ash Wednesday: Gather, Burn, Crush, Sift, Mix, Pour, Bless This is from the first week, Gather. I gather the palms for burning. Gather together all the palm fronds to form a bundle. Gather them…
It is always a remarkable moment to stand here and see all of you looking back at me with the dark, cross-shaped smudges on your foreheads. It is like holding up the bread and wine at communion and seeing, in a sense, the people of God through communion; to see the body of Christ amongst…
Last Sunday of Pentecost Before Christ the King Year C Around this same time every year, I am struck by all the wonderful marks of the changing season. Leaves turning colors. Crows cawing at me in the parking lot. People talking about getting pecans for holiday baking. The air is crisp and cool. How big…
Shepherdess Writes 