Drenched in Joy

My family was able to join us for Easter Sunday this year and after the service, Clyde and I hosted them for a meal at our house. My sister shared that as I entered the sanctuary in the procession, with a bowl of water and ‘water-flinger’ in my hand (also known as an aspergillum), she saw me begin to sprinkle the congregation with drops of water, however, someone near her was facing forward and did not see me approaching. After being splattered in the face with water, she turned with irritation in her eyes to see who had just drenched her, only to see me passing by with joy!

Reflections of a Short Timer

As I enter the last month of my contracted interim at St. Luke’s, I thought it might a good time to share some of the things I’ve been thinking and feeling in this transition.

How can I help?

I retired from Rainbow Hospice and Palliative Care at the end of 2015. I spent the largest part of my professional life there and through most of those years established and managed the Spiritual Care & Healing Arts staff. But there were changes as there always are in health care, and it was time to go.

Mystagogy

Over the course of these next weeks of Easter, I hope to provide some space in this blog for reflecting on these experiences in the style of mystagogy.

Mystagogy is an ancient practice that will deepen our understanding and appreciation of the mysteries of our faith. It is more than a teaching tool; it’s a way to immerse ourselves in the sacred realities we’ve encountered in our recent liturgical celebrations.

Solemn Reproaches

Dear church,

As we enter Holy Week, I thought it would be appropriate to offer a little devotional based on the “Solemn Reproaches,” a series of laments often used during Good Friday services. These texts are a poignant part of the observance of Christ’s Passion, expressing the sorrow and betrayal Christ felt towards humanity that, despite his love and sacrifices, often strayed and rejected him.

Please Invite Me

So please – invite me into your home, your work, your play! Living out our faith means embodying our Christian values in every aspect of our lives, from our interactions with coworkers to our time spent with family and friends. It’s about extending love, compassion, and grace to others. By doing so, we become living testimonies to the transformative power of Christ’s love in the world around us. Now this is easier said than done…but it’s what we strive for! We hope that people will be curious about why we live so generously and desire to find out more…

Dear Church

I am so deeply humbled and excited to join you as we continue to live into the mission God has called each of us – to be a clear and unashamed witness to God’s love, in every aspect of our lives, in a world so desperately in need of such a life-giving message. As we enter the 110th year of faithful ministry as a congregation, God has much in store for us. Let’s us embrace that call with JOY!

Little Laments

Below are the reflections and questions to guide our meditation on the laments of our lives and our opportunity to be present with others to enable their stories of lament. The reading will be Psalm 42. The psalm begins with a familiar verse: “As the deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O God.” This longing for God’s presence is picked up in ELW Hymn 331: “As the deer runs to the river, parched and weary from the chase, we have come from hurt and hurry, thirsting for your healing grace.”

Let the Good Times Roll

Two weeks ago, on the Feast of the Transfiguration of our Lord, Judy and I hosted the Sunday Coffee Hour as a celebration of Mardi Gras. It is a favorite holiday, not only for the food, music, and memories of New Orleans, but also for its place as prequel to Ash Wednesday and the observance of Lent.

In hosting Coffee Hour (for the first time since COVID), I learned three things:

Holy Lament

We will gather each Wednesday morning in Lent at 10:30 AM for brief worship. The theme will be lamentations. In the Bible space is given for people to share their pain, their sorrow, their loss, the things which cut deep in their souls. The ministry of lamentation does not only call for each of us to identify and tell our own stories of lament, but also to show up for others to listen and hear their stories as well. In the midst of Lamentations is a healing God who listens, loves, and moves us toward healing and new beginnings. The first Lesson for Ash Wednesday is from the book of Joel and helps us see the connection between our suffering and lamentations and the worship of God’s people. The blog is an edited excerpt from the book “Grace All Around Us” published by Augsburg Fortress in February 2007.

Transfiguration Thoughts

In the verses preceding Mark’s Transfiguration passage, Jesus has just articulated what is arguably his most disturbing, difficult teaching of all: that he must suffer, die, and rise again – and that anyone who wishes to follow him must “deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me”.  The Transfiguration’s light, then, acts as a kind of reassurance for Peter, John, and James (and for the rest of us!).  It’s as if Mark is saying: We’re now making the turn toward Golgotha, and that means descending into the valley of the shadow of death.  But fear not! Keep this astonishing, mysterious mountaintop story in mind as we go. Carry it like a torch, for it can help show the way – not least because it gives us a glimpse of where all this is headed…