Dear God of all times, places, and peoples, I ask for your Spirit of consolation and strength to be present in clear and tangible ways to the people, especially the Muslim community, of Christchurch, New Zealand. In a time of shock and grief, grant peace and gentleness to neighbors helping neighbors. Let the wails of… Read More
Tuesday Prayer
God of the Heavy Hearts, As the reminder of my friend’s birthday comes across my feed, my heart still stings from her passing – even now years after her death. How I would like to call her to catch up on life or introduce her to my partner! How much would I like to have… Read More
Friday Prayer: In the Borderland
Holy Breath of Life- There is a fine edge in my world. The space before the ledge is the area wherein I acknowledge the idols in my life- Attempts and desire for control, Tasks that busy my day and prevent rest and stillness, Issues that I have made my own without consulting You, Frustrations and… Read More
Friday Prayer: By the Bedside
Jesus- The written Word tells us that you wept over the death of your friend Lazarus. It also tells us that you waited until he died before you came to the side of his sisters. I have mixed feelings as to whether your actions were compassionate. A resurrected brother is not the same as not… Read More
The Pastoral is Political: Looking at the Relationship Between the Pastoral, Political, and Personal in My Grief
Four weeks ago my life changed. I was on a video call with some faith-based activists and organizers from around the country when my phone wouldn’t stop ringing. I ignored it until my aunt sent me a text indicating that something that happened to my grandmother. I immediately dropped everything and called my mom to… Read More
Friday Festival
As Advent approaches, so do our focuses on certain themes for this liturgical season – specifically waiting for the birth of Christ to bring us a new light into our lives. Yet we rarely see waiting as a gift. As she participated in jury duty, Michelle at Quantum Theology states this: “There was a lot… Read More
Tuesday Prayer
Soothing Spirit, my heart and head are off today. The unsettling vibration in my soul overwhelms me today. Something is off- – Today is one year. One year after his death. The makeup of my soul was forever changed that day. And when the winds of September swirl around me, I feel the change of… Read More
Friday Festival: Reforming Our Lives
There’s a spirit of renewal in the air for our bloggers. Some of it is chosen, and other parts are forced. Some is welcome, other things much less so. Near the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation, our writers are finding all kinds of other reformations in their own lives. Rebecca at Desert Sojourn is… Read More
Tuesday Prayer
God, today I try to return to my “normal”: to my work, friends, routines that help me take steps forward in my life. But God, my body, mind, and soul would rather stay in the well of grief in which I’ve been abiding for the past two weeks. The aches and nausea ground me to… Read More
Tuesday Prayer
God, I’m sitting in a deep well a grief. I hear the noise and movement from life outside of the painful bubble in which I currently abide. I wish that I could be with those carrying on the everyday-ness of life. But right now, God, it’s you and me in this space of mourning. Far… Read More
