pink & blue & grey
trees lifting arms toward heaven
day’s benediction
Advent haiku #2
Red Shoes
Yesterday I went shopping for new shoes. [I sincerely dislike shopping, but sometimes it is necessary.] After visiting several stores I found a pair of black shoes that looked good and fit well. But then, because it was a “BOGO 50%off” sale I decided to look for a second pair. I found a pair of red heels. I’ve never bought anything quite so flashy before, but, at least somewhat influenced by Jenny Joseph’s poem “Warning” (When I am an old woman I shall wear purple / With a red hat…) — after all I am a mere two years away from retirement and my hair is purple — I decided to buy them.
This morning I wore the red shoes to church. I have never before had so many people comment on my shoes! In fact, I’m not sure I’ve ever had anyone admire my shoes before. Who knew that splash of colour would have such an impact?
I also considered them to be my ‘courage’ shoes. Yesterday, for the first time ever, I “preached” the sermon at BMC. Sometime this week it will be uploaded to the Worship Response Blog if you’d like to listen.
Read more interesting information about the poem: http://www.laterbloomer.com/jenny-joseph/
Counting the Cost
Saw this sign this afternoon:
I was surprised. It immediately brought to mind Jesus’ story (Luke 14:25-33):
Now large crowds were traveling with him; and he turned and said to them, “Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him, saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’ Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? If he cannot, then, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for the terms of peace. So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.
Clearly, Jesus says we need to count the cost. We need to know the cost right up front and we need to be ready to pay it.
If you are going to love you need to know there will be a cost! The difficulty is that there is no way to really know what the cost will be. Jesus told us over and over, “Love one another as I have loved you.” Jesus knew the cost of love and he was ready to pay it. All the way to death on a cross.
I think that sign would more closely align to Jesus’ teaching if it said, “Love counts the cost and is willing to pay the price.”
Faith story and proclamation
On the second Sunday of Easter I shared my journey through Volker’s death in the service at Bloomingdale Mennonite Church. For more context to my talk you can visit the church’s worship blog — the recording is at the bottom of the page after the scripture readings.
Or listen to it here:
Meditation on Ephesians 3:16-19
Praying in colour is a way to talk with God. I’ve been meditating on this short passage, the writer’s prayer for people in Ephesus he loved. I decided to used colours to make various ideas stand out.
Gold: I love that this prayer starts with God’s riches in glory and ends with the fullness of God.
Green: The writer invokes God, the Spirit, Jesus and then all the saints. Before us. After us. All of us.
Pink: “You” and “your” is talking about a group of people, not just one person. We need each other, this life is not for lone living.
Purple: Our hearts and inner being are critical to knowing…
Red: love – God’s, Christ’s, the Spirit’s, the saint’s, in all dimensions. Love is the central point.
Blue: This is what the writer wants for us – strength, power, rooted and grounded, comprehension, to know beyond knowledge, to be filled with God, to perfectly reflect our Creator.
Such a beautiful prayer!