psalms for passiontide: Holy Tuesday Psalm 70

Psalm 70 is a psalm for anyone (like me) whose faith seriously wobbles from day to day, moment to moment.  It is a psalm that is a cry for help, and the psalmist needs help in a hurry.  It is full of worry, of panic, and there is a growing sense of urgency as theContinue reading “psalms for passiontide: Holy Tuesday Psalm 70”

psalms for passiontide: Holy Monday Psalm 36.5-11

I begin where I ended yesterday, reminding myself of Your steadfast love.  The Message version of Psalm 36.5-6 tells me in no uncertain terms that I cannot underestimate the extent of Your love and of Your constancy; that when I try to speak of them no superlative is too extravagant: God’s love is meteoric,     hisContinue reading “psalms for passiontide: Holy Monday Psalm 36.5-11”

Christmas Day 2019

May all the blessings of the One who is Light and Dark in our dark and our light, be on you, this day and for evermore.  Amen.   Word whose breath is the world-circling atmosphere, Word that utters the world that turns the wind, Word that articulates the bird that speeds upon the air,  Continue reading “Christmas Day 2019”

advent apertures 2019: Christmas Eve

I have learned that fences are for climbing to see if the grass really is greener on the other side; and that if I leave the house at night, and stretch high on the top of my tiptoes I might touch the quivering stars, play with the bright young moon.   I have learned thatContinue reading “advent apertures 2019: Christmas Eve”

advent apertures 2019: day 23

Light and darkness, night and day. We marvel at the mystery of the stars. Moon and sky, sand and sea. We marvel at the mystery of the sun. Twilight, high noon, dusk and dawn. Though we are mortal, we are Creation’s crown. Flesh and bone, steel and stone. We dwell in fragile, temporary shelters. GrantContinue reading “advent apertures 2019: day 23”

advent apertures 2019: Blue Christmas

Evening says to night: “Are you always this beautiful under your clothes?” Night says to the moon: “All day I dreamed of you but I couldn’t bring myself to call.” The moon says to sleep: “There are doorways in the dark.” Sleep says to dawn: “As if forward were the only direction!” Dawn says toContinue reading “advent apertures 2019: Blue Christmas”

advent apertures 2019: day 19

Sorrow everywhere. Slaughter everywhere. If babies are not starving someplace, they are starving somewhere else. With flies in their nostrils. But we enjoy our lives because that’s what God wants. Otherwise the mornings before summer dawn would not be made so fine. The Bengal tiger would not be fashioned so miraculously well. The poor womenContinue reading “advent apertures 2019: day 19”

advent apertures 2019: day 18

If we could truly open the windows of perception, our lives would be infinitely richer, finer, truer to the possibilities of the soul. We would become considerably wiser, in understanding and in action. We could occupy the moment more fully, and employ more of our latent capacities. We might begin to genuinely respond to lifeContinue reading “advent apertures 2019: day 18”

advent apertures 2019: day 17

Last night as I was sleeping, I dreamt—marvellous error!— that a spring was breaking out in my heart. I said: Along which secret aqueduct, Oh water, are you coming to me, water of a new life that I have never drunk?   Last night as I was sleeping, I dreamt—marvellous error!— that I had aContinue reading “advent apertures 2019: day 17”

advent apertures 2019: Sunday 3

I walk early down a muddied fire road on the flank of the mountain.  Facing east as I turn toward home in the predawn dark, only the softest light has begun to pearl the horizon. I am perplexed by the tiny flickers of light going off, like matches being lit and blown out, that IContinue reading “advent apertures 2019: Sunday 3”