"Down Under" Reflections for Lent: Alpha Centauri Having returned from a recent trip to visit family in Australia, Pr. Scott offers reflections on highlights of the experience in light of the season of Lent. In my last post I reflected on my experience of seeing the Southern Cross, a famous feature of night skies in the Southern Hemisphere. Shining brightly nearby are two “pointer” stars, one of which is Alpha Centauri, our sun’s nearest neighbor. “Near” and “neighbor” are relative terms. … [Read more...]
“Down Under” Reflections for Lent: Southern Cross
Having returned from a recent trip to visit family in Australia, Pr. Scott offers reflections on highlights of the experience in light of the season of Lent. Australia hosts many animals unique to that continent—kangaroos, koalas, wombats, platypus, Tasmanian devils—but there are some unique things you can’t see in zoos anywhere. One of my hopes for our recent visit to Australia was a chance to see the Southern Cross. Those of us in the Northern Hemisphere might recognize the Southern Cross … [Read more...]
3. Self-Awareness
The “Be Still” spiritual practice that I’m following in response to our church’s health plan is divided into six weeks, two weeks for each practice. The third practice is: "Make Intentional Choices to Strengthen Your Well-Being" Ancient Roots: Prayer Labyrinth For centuries, the labyrinth has been found in religious traditions around the world. Ours follows the pattern in the 13th century floor of Chartres Cathedral in France. The winding path of a labyrinth acts as a mirror for our … [Read more...]
2. Strength & Vulnerability
The “Be Still” spiritual practice that I’m following in response to our church’s health plan is divided into six weeks, two weeks for each practice. The second practice is: "Claim Your Strengths and Vulnerabilities" Ancient Roots: Lectio Divina Started in early monastic communities, Lectio Divina invites slow and prayerful reading of scripture as Living Word. Read the day’s scripture three times. Allow the repetition to draw you deeper into the text, hearing it differently and opening … [Read more...]
1. Gratitude
The "Be Still" spiritual practice that I'm following in response to our church's health plan is divided into six weeks, two weeks for each practice. The first is gratitude. Deepen Your Awareness of God’s Grace Ancient Roots: Examen Developed in the 16th century by St. Ignatius Loyola, Examen invites you to review the day’s events to detect God’s presence and direction for you. Choose from the following daily gratitude practices. Consider one that pulls you outside your comfort zone. … [Read more...]
Be Still
A healthy spiritual life is intimately related to healthy practice in all other areas of human life. "Wellness" refers to healthy practice of mind, body and spirit. With that in mind, our church's health plan provides incentives for healthy living. For example, in each year that participants complete a health assessment and commit to a disciplined spiritual practice for at least 6-10 weeks we receive a financial reward. We're given three options: One is meal tracking and calorie counting. … [Read more...]
Grace for the Old Too
Grace For the Old Too Anthony B. Robinson "Do not be afraid, Zechariah . . . Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John. You will have joy and gladness . . ." - Luke 1: 13 - 14 With these words the angel Gabriel told Zechariah that he and his wife, Elizabeth, were going to have their first child. It was an improbable announcement as both Zechariah and Elizabeth were by now far too old for such things and had given up hope. And yet, they would become the parents of … [Read more...]
New Year’s Eve
New Year's Eve Maren Tirabassi "May God send you help from the sanctuary, and give you support from Zion." - Psalm 20 Where are you on New Year's Eve? I'm in an AA meeting, one of God's strong sanctuaries, even though they are often located in church basements. Some of you will be there, too, later today – it's the kind of holiday that is hard to take "one day at a time." Others of you will be in Watch Night services, Weight Watcher meetings, airplanes headed back to college, Alzheimer's … [Read more...]
Julia
Thanks for the rich life you left behind, Julia. Rest in peace and joy in the company of the angels. We will miss you. … [Read more...]
Longest Night
I've often said that December 21st--winter solstice--is one of my favorite days of the year. On the face of things that may seem odd since it's the shortest day and longest night of the year. But that's just the point. Beginning this coming Sunday the days begin to grow longer! That mixture of "darkest night" and "brightest hope" is a more helpful reflection of the season than the "tinsel and glitter" cultural expression of Christmas. The Advent and Christmas seasons are indeed full of … [Read more...]