The Risen Christ Appearing to Mary Magdalene, Rembrandt Oh Jesus! To collapse in grief, in the sense of utter hopelessness that the death of any beloved—but oh, your death, you who have given us the light of a new life, the hope of the unquenchable love of God, the vision of something beyond the horizons of this world—to fall flat in the effort to breathe because of sorrow. Oh Jesus! To long to touch you one more time, to wipe your... Read more
Perhaps it is too soon to let go of Lenten longings, but it is never too soon to remember that they “accomplish” nothing. We make the great and terrible efforts, but they are just efforts, and they have no real merit. “There is no calamity but Sin alone,” Thomas Traherne writes. To embrace that truth, to recognize sin as the great disrupter and abyss in our lives, means relentlessly refusing peace with it. And yet, in the midst of... Read more
We all recognize that our social media feeds these days are a frenzy of outrage, disgust, frustration, and vitriol. Christians actually seem the most frenzied. It is inconceivable, we think, that certain people resist what are obviously decent and moral policies, practices, or perspectives. Yet how lovely would it be if we could give up for Lent our outrage, disgust, frustration, and vitriol. Are we afraid that if we lay them down, we will fail Jesus somehow? that following Jesus demands... Read more
We need to get creative about our Lenten disciplines. The annual giving-up-chocolate-for-Lent is a fairly hackneyed practice, and it’s hard to know just what it is meant to accomplish. I’ve given up Lenten practices that really don’t change the way I think or pray or see the world. I just came from practicing the Lenten discipline I took up last year. Once again, it seems to be just the ticket for this year’s season. It’s not for everyone. It’s not... Read more
“Grant me, O Lord my God, a mind to know you, a heart to seek you, wisdom to find you, conduct pleasing to you, faithful perseverance in waiting for you, and a hope of finally embracing you. Amen.” Photo by liljc716, Flickr C.C. Read more
“O Lord God, who are all in all to me, Life of my life and Spirit of my spirit, have mercy on me and so fill me with your Holy Spirit and with love that there may be no room for anything else in my heart. I ask not for any blessing, but for just yourself, you who are the giver of all blessings and of all life. In you alone is satisfaction and abundance for my heart; you... Read more
When I read the stories in Keeping Love Alive as Memories Fade, I’m reminded of our own family’s journey of loss—the whispered conversations, the hurried runs over to Grandma’s house, the phone calls with out-of-state family, the boxing up of a house of memories, and the quiet goodbyes. Grandma left us long before she moved to live with her daughter in Florida. Years later, visiting that daughter, my aunt, I saw pictures of Grandma in her final years. Her feistiness,... Read more
“The mind and soul of a mature man of prayer have simplified their gaze, and deepened and broadened their correspondences with Reality… Such a soul knows existence, is aware of the mysterious movements and pressure of the Spirit, in a way others do not.” ~ Evelyn Underhill Last week I wrote about the Spirit of God as a divine Sherpa, a trustworthy companion and guide in life. (Not “the spiritual life,” whatever that is, but life. All of life.... Read more
I began this series with a comment about the ways I have often imagined the Spirit as an ayah—a constant companion, teacher, friend, and surrogate mother. While I’ve come to understand and experience the Spirit as much more than that, the ayah image has not faded, but rather intensified. Sometimes when I find the whole Christian story just too much to believe, and the idea of a Father God seems completely mythical and the Jesus-story an impossible fantasy, I... Read more
Now that Lent is over, it’s back to life as usual. No more arduous efforts, no more talk of self-deprivation, no more trial and drama and spiritual angstiness. Yay for Fifty Days of Easter! Bring on the chocolate! But let’s not waste our Lent. Recalling our spiritual history might help a bit. We usually remember that our Easter coincides with the Jewish Passover, but we may forget the parallels that continue in the following weeks. After the first Passover, the... Read more
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