For me, the most significant sentence in the Book of Common Prayer is the rubric at the beginning of the Great Easter Vigil: In the darkness, fire is kindled. The Vigil is observed sometime between sundown on Holy Saturday and sunrise on Easter Sunday. Before the procession begins, the clergy make a small fire fromContinue reading “Fire is Kindled”
Category Archives: Lent 2021
In the Dark
On this Holy Saturday, we wait in darkness with the women and disciples. We have the privilege of knowing what’s next, but image that we don’t. Sit with them in the finality of the death of the one who preached peace and freedom, who spoke of salvation from the darkness and is now dead inContinue reading “In the Dark”
The Goodness of Friday
In five short days, the celebratory cheers and impromptu parade of Palm Sunday have morphed to angry crowds demanding a drama of vengeance directed by fear and produced by hate. The people who had shouted Hosanna now stand with the leaders from whom they had wanted to be rescued. They had asked for freedom butContinue reading “The Goodness of Friday”
The Footwashing Way
The Thursday before Easter is called Maundy Thursday. The word Maundy comes from the Latin mandatum and refers to the mandate, the new commandment Jesus gives to love one another as he loves us. On this day we commemorate the final meal that Jesus had with his disciples before his arrest. Many congregations also offerContinue reading “The Footwashing Way”
Economy of Relationship
The third test with which Satan tries to get Jesus to be less than he is a test we face every single day. Satan tells Jesus: All this will be yours if you forget who you are. And, the joke’s on Satan – the whole world, all of creation, already belongs to God, even ifContinue reading “Economy of Relationship”
God will Catch Us
Since you are God’s Son, jump. This is the second of the three tests with which Satan attempts to get Jesus to be who he’s not, to accept less than what God gives us. From the highest point, from the top of the temple, Satan says, “Jump and God will catch you.” There’s a bigContinue reading “God will Catch Us”
A Test of Identity
Our life is a balance of physical and spiritual and we need to feed and care for our whole and holy humanness. Even if we were to feast regularly on the finest of foods, we would not be fully alive without also regularly feeding on God’s word so that we are equipped to see through a Kingdom lens.
Kingdom Crazy
So I know a few of you think that after yesterday’s post that I’ve lost my marbles. How can any sane person equate chores and spirituality? And what does washing dishes or doing laundry have to do with our Lenten Journey? In one of my pre-Lent posts, I asked us to consider Jesus’ question, “doContinue reading “Kingdom Crazy”
Kingdom Work
Have you ever prayed while sweeping the floor? As I hear most folks, including myself, talk about the necessary tasks we must do to keep our homes clean, we speak negatively. These are the things that prevent us from doing the other things, stuff we must do before we can do what we want toContinue reading “Kingdom Work”
The Beauty of Ordinary
Good Thursday, Y’all! Can I ask you a question? Yes, I realize I just did ask a question but I have a deeper query for you: in the course of our Lenten journey, in what ways have you been particularly aware of God with you? For most of us who regularly exercise our spirituality inContinue reading “The Beauty of Ordinary”
Mother Nancy's Coffee Thoughts 