When the World Rushes On...

In clamor and confusion the world rushes around seeking meaning —
scheduled, over-scheduled breathless quest.

We remember Jesus after the crowds — “…he would withdraw

to deserted places and pray.”  (Luke 5:16)

How he must have been strengthened,comforted and fed by this time alone with God.

What we long for is some quiet, some time of rest to hear God’s word for us
in the solitude, to trust God’s grace in our midst — so we might be saved,
so we might be strengthened.

— Roberta Porter    Alive Now, July/August 2012

Thank God for Each Day

 Thank  God for Today

For cool mornings and rumbling afternoon storms,

for amazing days and even more ordinary evenings,

for deep friendships and shallow wading pools:

we give thanks to God!

For the laughing God who tickles us with joy,

for the broken-hearted Love who joins in our struggles:

we give thanks to God at all times!

For the Bread of heaven who feeds us hope,

for the Spirit of grace who teaches us to dance:

we give thanks to God at all times and for everything!

-Thom Shuman

www.lectionaryliturgies.blogspot.com

Living in the Present

There is an intimate relationship between joy and hope. While optimism makes us live as if someday soon things will go better for us, hope frees us from the need to predict the future and allows us to live in the present, with the deep trust that God will never leave us alone but will fulfill the deepest desires of our heart. Joy in this perspective is the fruit of hope.

 

 -Henri Nouwen

Here and Now

You ARE Loved!

The glorious message of Scripture is that we do not have to be perfect for our Maker to love us.  All through the great stories, heavenly love is lavished on visibly imperfect people.  We are asked to look at Jacob as he really is, to look at ourselves as we really are, and then realize that this is who God loves.

Madeleine  L’Engle    Glimpses of Grace

Take Time to Rest

It's Friday afternoon, and you cannot wait for the weekend. You are mentally exhausted, burned out from a week of dealing with other people’s deadlines, expectations, needs, and the ubiquitous insanity that passes for life in the post-modern world. You just want to go home, take a bath or shower, slip into something comfortable and breathe. But instead, what do you do?

While the specifics may differ, chances are you race home, and jump from one set of imposed obligations to another. … You run from one exhaustive life to another and wonder why you are so tired on Monday morning. What you need is Shabbos: a day to play. …

For me Shabbosis a day set aside to breathe freely; a day when we reject the delusion that we must earn our living and realize that we must celebrate it. …

Shabbos was a revolutionary idea when first invented thousands of years ago. Over time it became Shabbat (Jewish) and Sabbath (Christian. I urge you to reclaim one of the most revolutionary things people can do: play.

- Rami Shapiro

Alive Now, July/August 2012