Lenten Reflections
Go! for Lent: Psalm 122
The Holy Cross Monastery in West Park, NY is one of my favorite places on earth. It is, for me, a “thin place” – a place where heaven and earth come a bit closer together. It feels both immensely holy and remarkably accessible. I think this is a combination of the physical space and the […]
Go! for Lent: Mark 10:52
Bartimaeus, the blind man of Jericho, had an incredible faith in Jesus and what He could do for him. Imagine this man sitting on the floor, begging for help, money, food, etc., you get the picture, right? Well, this is the same man that had an amazing opportunity and, without hesitation, did everything he could […]
Go! for Lent: Luke 4:18-19
The meaning of this scripture passage for me is that it is Jesus’ statement of mission a way forward for Jesus and for us today. It is used in my ministry and is the basis of the focus on mission in the New Visions Initiative for Congregational Renewal and Vitality. Jesus read this particular […]
Go! for Lent: Ruth 1:16
In the Old Testament, the book of Ruth comes to us like a precious gem following as it does numerous stories of war and conquest from the earlier books that we read in Hebrew Scripture. These are some of the most endearing words of love and devotion that we read in scripture. After the death […]
Go! for Lent: Mark 10:21
My brother and I started off the year making a pledge to each other. My brother turns 50 this year and I am his senior by only a mere 5 years and 1 month. What we both said we would commit to doing, with no time limit on it, nor when or how it gets […]
Go! for Lent: Luke 14:21, 23
“Go out at once into the streets…” This scripture speaks to me because it is about action. It speaks to us of the expansiveness of God’s love, represented here in the parable of the banquet. When those who were readily welcomed to the great dinner declined the invitation, the owner of the house responds with […]
Go! for Lent: John 15:15b-17
The fifth grade class at Trinity Episcopal Day School in Baton Rouge is intrigued by what it means to “go and bear fruit” as described in John 15:15b-17. We discussed the ways we can be Jesus’ friend and, as his friend, go and bear the kind of “fruit that will last” which Jesus would want […]
Go! for Lent: Psalm 121:8
If Lent – and life – is a journey, then we can have no better words to be our companions on the way than the eight verses of Psalm 121. Scholars say that this psalm is the second of the 15 consecutive so-called ascent psalms, and they surmise that the psalms were sung by pilgrims […]
Go! for Lent: 1 Samuel 3:1-9
These verses, especially: “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening”, resonate with me in a very direct way this Lent. I recently became a Postulant for the priesthood in The Episcopal Church, and I am hoping to attend seminary this coming Fall. I’m 45. Pending acceptances to MDiv programs and qualification for Financial Aid, I […]
Go! for Lent: Esther 4:16
The Book of Esther is one of my favorite stories of The Bible. There’s a lot of learnings and reflections we can make from this novel. Esther 4:16 is a powerful and inspiring verse for this Lent season. What can we learn from this Jewish woman, also allegedly Queen of Persia? We may think of […]