scripture

  • Witness

    Witness

    If you dropped onto this planet somewhere in America in the past few years and learned about what it means to be Christian or Catholic-Christian strictly from what you saw from vocal national church leaders and from church-aligned media, you might draw some conclusions about the nature and purpose of Christianity and the Church. You…

  • Mantle – 2021

    Mantle – 2021

    Each year between Christmas and New Year’s, I lean in close to discover my word for the year ahead. Last year a scripture caught hold of me hard and I thought for sure that my word was embedded within it.  It was Isaiah 43:19, and I scribbled it on an index card and affixed it to…

  • Puddles

    Puddles

    I was praying for a particular person recently and felt an image of a bucket of light being poured out at their feet like paint from a can.  The light spread like paint, slowly, into a puddle and it was just enough to step in, just enough to give direction but not nearly enough for a…

  • Encounter

    Encounter

    My devotional sent me to the book of 1Kings this morning, to the story about Elijah the prophet who, running for his life, fell exhausted and prayed for death.  The story leads to one of the most recognizable passages in scripture, about how Elijah retreated to a cave, and experienced first a great and powerful wind…

  • Way

    Way

    Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. ~Isaiah 43:18-19 I’d be surprised if there’s a soul reading these words who doesn’t feel we’re…

  • Hope

    Hope

    On December 31, 2019, I had a lot of hopes.  At our sweet friends’ New Year’s Eve party, I shakily wrote my resolution on a thin piece of cardboard: ‘attend my first writer’s conference’ and then I paused and added something like, ‘pursue publishing’.  In the weeks that followed, I applied for and received a…

  • Psalm 20:7

    Psalm 20:7

    As it often does, my Jesus Calling devotional pointed me to a verse today I’d heard multiple times, but never really considered.  Today, it was Psalm 20:7: Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. The times I’ve trusted in a horse are limited…

  • Discern

    Discern

    In the past several weeks, it has become clear that American Catholics have both a new opportunity and responsibility to do something with which they may not have a lot of practice: spiritual discernment.  In the time since the obligation and practice of mass attendance was suspended in March, individual Catholics have relied on their…

  • Hospice

    Hospice

    “In all honesty, I have to say she was sent to me by the Holy Spirit.” My friend, Bob, was talking to me about the incredible care he’s receiving in hospice, and specifically the care he’s receiving from his CNA, Paulette.  Paulette came here from Jamaica 33 years ago, raised five children, and worked hard…

  • Pentecost

    Pentecost

    I was walking in one of my favorite places just now when I saw this wooden chapel birdhouse. It’s not the first time I’ve noticed it. In fact, I’ve taken hundreds of pictures of it over the years, in every time and season. Sometimes the leaves are green and full as they are today. Sometimes…