What is Jesus Telling me About God?
When I read the parables in which Jesus likens God to an abusive landlord* or an overbearing boss, I cringe. This righteous, angry, vengeful God is the one that too many churches use as an excuse to silence anyone who asks too many questions, to restrict leadership opportunities for women, to refuse to recognize the […]
Believe
Believe. It’s a powerful word, commonly used. It’s on bumper stickers, coffee mugs and signs over doorways. I like seeing the sign over a doorway because belief is a doorway. In this week’s gospel, Jesus says it is the doorway to heaven.* He points to the complexity by beginning with the prerequisite of seeing, then […]
Pentecost Hearing
Our talk began simply: “What’s good about writing an IO reflection? What’s hard for you?” We laughed as common complaints came up about keeping the reflection short enough for reading on a cell-phone, and nodded over differences in how long one needed to dwell with the scripture to let a personal experience emerge. Although we […]
Spirit of Truth
This Spring, glorious as it is, I often seem to be stuck in sad emotions and the inability to move forward in making decisions about the future. I awaken each day with a practice of remembering my identity as a beloved child of God, intending to stay conscious of the “we-ness” of approaching each moment. Yet I […]
