Uphill idealist

This sign has been on quite a journey the last six weeks.  First it was a sign of welcome and greetings to my new call at King of Kings Lutheran Church when I started on Feb. 23 and installed on March 8th. The first Sunday of Lent, I asked my new congregation to choose a word of faith or encouragement to accompany them through Lent. They gave me a copy of their words. I had planned do do something  with canvas - with “finer” supplies to take and use their words as background for today’s Easter greetings. But in the midst of a global pandemic, a trip to the art store was not to be. And In truth, there is more meaning to taking the sign of greeting, to add the words and prayers of the people and have Alleluia revealed. Liturgy means: “the work of the people” and this Easter - more than ever before, this Easter has been the love and work of the people. Blessed Easter! Alleluia, Christ is risen. Christ is risen indeed!

Meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.  26  When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, “Woman, here is your son.”  27  Then he said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home. Over the last few weeks, our sense of HOME and FAMILY has been adjusted and readjusted. For essential workers that long to be HOME with family – to telecommuting workers who are learning to manage the blurred lines of family/work and home – to people living on their own in quarantine who are apart from human connection in all it capacities – apart from phone and video conferencing; the account of Jesus making a new FAMILY AND HOME connection for his mother and his disciple is one that we can relate to. Either we need “real” connections in our quarantined status – or we need clarity on...

When I was a child my Mom, Nancy, would tell us Good Friday was a time for quiet, especially during the hours we recognized for Jesus crucifixion - noon to 3. We were invited to draw, read or to simply be quiet and restful in this three hour block of time. Even as a active child - I loved Good Friday for its quiet melancholy. Still do. So today - I will (try) to practice quiet this afternoon. I wonder if my mom making space for contemplation, was a way that led to the way of learning to embrace contemplation through art, music and of course writing. I may have to give this some more thought, but thanks to my Mom for helping find center, when I didn't even know what that was. No matter your religious perspectives and in this time of shelter in home - this snowy Good Friday is fitting for quiet, reflection and thinking about how others sacrifice make life possible. Maybe this Good Friday is one we all can live together. Deep thanks to those who keep the world turni...

Prayer Mantra: Stay with me, remain here with me – watch and pray. Watch and pray . Gospel Reading:   John 13:1-17, 31b-35 Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end… And during supper Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?" Jesus answered, "You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand." Peter said to him, "You will never wash my feet." Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no share with me." Simon ...