TagHope

The Body of Christ

Our thanks to Brendan Armitage, our guest devotioneer this week. “One bread, one body, one Lord of all / One cup of blessing which we bless, And we, though many, throughout the earth / We are one body in this one Lord. Gentile or Jew / Servant or free / Woman or man / No…

Christmas Lights

When I drive to my mom’s condo, I drive through an adjoining neighborhood which has become extremely interesting to me, of late.  The “interesting” began back in November, with the very “UN-interesting” practice of putting up Christmas lights. Many, but not all the houses in the neighborhood put up some semblance of Christmas lights ……

Grief Must Be Given Its Time

“I no longer comfort others with false cheer.  In the hospital, where my encounters with patients are ever more distanced by sterile gloves, computer protocols, and the pressures of time, one way I can still be present is during their moments of grief.  I don’t encourage anyone to move on, to replace, to remarry, or…

Faithful Tardigrades

For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? ~~ Romans 8:24, NRSV Are you a Cosmos fan?  Will you watch the new “Possible Worlds” premier (Season 3 of the Cosmos franchise) on Fox tonight?  (Maybe you already caught it on the Nat. Geo. Channel where it has aired…

Hope in the Face of Death

I know we often lose, and that the death or destruction of another is infinitely more real and unbearable than one’s own.  I think I know how many times one has to start again, and how often one feels that one cannot start again.  And yet, on pain of death, one can never remain where…

This Is Your House

There are many rooms in my Father’s house, and I am going to prepare a place for you.  ~~ John 14:2 (TEV) I’m in a meeting … Zoom, of course … and one of the other attendees agrees to open the meeting with prayer.  I always enjoy hearing others pray … there are a myriad…

The Thin Blue Line

Editor’s note … our guest devotioneer this week, Brendan Armitage, sent me this devotion a couple of months ago, suggesting that it could be used “anytime”. It was not connected to a particular church season or holiday. He said I could use it when I needed a week off. I instead, wanted to find the…

Words from the Cyber-Wilderness

I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now. I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the…

A Brave New World

We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies. For while we live, we are always being given up to…

Happy Tears

(A LIT CANDLE IS PLACED ON THE PULPIT)  It doesn’t look like much, does it?  Yeah … I agree.  But this candle represents more than thirty years of my life.  Well, no … that’s not exactly right.  The candle represents one particular day each year for each of the last thirty-plus years of my life. …