Let us adore him. For rivers and stars, for forests breathing praise, for mountains rising to point the way, for deserts holding secrets for seekers, for the riotous jungles, for the unknown ocean deeps, for plains of provision hiding kernels of life. Let us adore him. For evening light falling into corners, … Continue reading Adore
Jesus, Here we are again, approaching the day of your birth. We’re thinking of that hushed and holy night, imagining ourselves under the legions of angels singing of peace, kneeling in the dark of the poor place where you came to us. Here we are again, Jesus, and if we have comfort from singing and … Continue reading A prayer of the hurting at Christmas
I am reading the Christmas story differently as a mom this year. Maybe it’s because my children are no longer little, when it’s easy to kiss away tears and put band-aids on the boo boos, when they fit snugly in my arms, and I can hold them until they are happy again. My son is … Continue reading A light for weary mamas
You are standing in the shadows. Maybe you didn’t realize it at first because everyone else seemed to be there with you. Maybe your back was turned to the light, or maybe you were just so used to the sight of that brightness on the far horizon you didn’t think about it anymore. Funny, you … Continue reading From the shadows
As the dawn breaks after starless wander, after black thrashing, after huddling cold spent blank, a lessening. A thread of thinnest gold. As the fire rages unconsuming holy in the brush, night rising guardian over nation beloved, falling furious to lick up Baal’s pride— meat, water, stones, and very dust— blazing into faith’s furnace where … Continue reading How the light comes
Sometimes the light hurts. Sometimes the light comes and we find we are not ready for its brilliance. The light exposes. We see our mess. We see our failures. We see our deep wounds and the things we tried to bury away and hide. And others can see them, too. We crave the light, but … Continue reading When the light hurts
Advent, Day 6 Once God came to Job, that saint of suffering, and asked, “Where is the way to the dwelling of light, and where is the place of darkness, that you may take it to its territory and that you may discern the paths to its home?” (Job 38:19-20) We do not know the … Continue reading Listening in the dark
Advent, Day 1 The very first thing he gave us was light. The first words he spoke, his first recorded thoughts towards us, were poured into a black void. “Let there be light.” A quick read of the creation account shows he did not invent the sun, moon, and stars until the fourth day. So … Continue reading In the beginning
Lord, When I look at my brother with anger in my heart, when I mentally tear down my sister with comparison, when I rush past the lonely, "sorry, don't have time," let the words of my children glide past unheeded, when I judge the choices of my neighbor but never listen to her story, when … Continue reading Redeemed
Above our noise, our wailing, our fists clenched, our castle ruins, demands, commands, lies, revenge, ceaseless war, You hear each choking cry, receive our ragged requests laden with ignorance, collect our tears, look upon the wrecked world and do not turn away. We pray for You to lean down, strike, … Continue reading Above
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