Holy One of Perfect Love- Your servants have written: perfect love casts out fear. Yet I see so much fear everywhere. Our imperfect love creates fear. Crooked, off-balance love stirs fear. Flawed, self-seeking, other-shaming “love” feeds fear. How do we regain trust in your perfect love? How do we remember that your perfect love is perfecting us? What will it… Read More
RCL: You are My I Love You
When I read John 15:9-17 I find myself reading it in many different tones. So far, my favorite is to read it in is exasperation. You the super-exasperated “I love you” that is sometimes the best you have to give one another. Its a favorite of my husband and I’s, we will be completely be… Read More
RCL: The Challenge to Love
I’m having some difficulties with these texts this week. It’s the third anniversary of my mother’s death and my grief is complicated. And the things happening in the world that displace such callous indifference to human lives brings the angry cynic out in me. I’m working to contain these feelings as I read these texts… Read More
RCL: The On-Going Story Continues
Throughout Lent, I’ve been contemplating the power of stories – biblical stories, ancient stories, personal stories, fictional stories, mythical stories, new stories, my story, written stories, oral stories, poetic stories, musical stories, all kinds of stories. There’s power in words. Sometimes we forget the power words have. Sometimes we’re too busy or too burdened to… Read More
Narrative Lectionary: Soft Targets (John 13:1-17)
“Jesus, Jesus, Jesus!” The departing parishioner accosted my pastor friend at the church door, at the end of worship. “Is that all you have to talk about?” “Pretty much,” he answered. The Narrative Lectionary asks us the same question, and, thankfully, the answer is still yes. Read the scripture here. Read Meda Stamper’s commentary for Working… Read More
Revised Common Lectionary: The You are Holy (so act like it) Edition
Pick a text, any text, this week and we’re confronted with who we are and how we are to be in this world. It can be a celebratory experience – we are holy because God is holy! And it can be a humbling experience – do we really love our neighbors as ourselves? In Deuteronmy… Read More
Saturday Prayer – Believe In Love
It’s not about what you deserve, it’s about what you believe, and I believe in love. – Wonder Woman, superhero (and theologian) We do not deserve Your grace, but it comes. Thank You for that. And thank You, too, for giving us love to believe in. Even now. Yes, especially now. Amen Jennifer… Read More
Friday Prayer: As You Would Have It
Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. 1 John 4:8 Boundless Lover of All- Stir up your grace in us, that we might love in such a way that all would know we follow you. Amen. The Reverend Julia Seymour serves Lutheran Church of Hope in Anchorage, AK.… Read More
Saturday Prayer: Waiting for Love
Love came down to rescue me, love came down to set me free. Love, it’s a simple word isn’t? Just four letters, such a small word for such a big purpose. You are the incarnation of Love, sweet baby Jesus. You are God incarnate. God, who is the embodiment of love, and all things that… Read More
Wednesday Festival: Try A Little Tenderness
“Love like your life depends on it, because it does.” ~Michael Franti, “Speaking of Tongues” (Stay Human 2001) Tenderness is needed these days, tenderness and grace, tenderness and grace and a whole lotta love — the “I see you” love of friends, the wild love of newlyweds, the struggling love of self-acceptance, the rooted love… Read More
