Blog
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Finding Home by Catherine Campbell
I don’t remember where exactly I met Catherine Campbell the first time – probably online before we met in person at the Christian Resources Together retreat. She’s just gorgeous, filled with a deep love for God and willing to share her wisdom and empathy. She and her husband have known grief and suffering, as you…
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Easter Poems – Breakfast with Jesus (39)
I love this story, especially since editing, some years ago, Conrad Gempf’s excellent book, Mealtime Habits of the Messiah. In my chapter on being Easter people in Finding Myself in Britain, I quote Conrad’s excellent engagement with this biblical passage: I love how Conrad (an American living in Britain) opens up this story. Jesus, the…
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For the Love of Tea
This morning, my primary-school-aged daughter made herself her first cup of tea. On her own, without asking for help. Minor burns were suffered by the tea-maker, but thankfully nothing major. I thought maybe she’d not catch the tea-bug, but perhaps living in a tea-saturated society, she can’t but help love the nation’s favo(u)rite drink. I…
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Easter Poems – “Peace be with you!” (38)
The disciples are still stunned, hiding out behind locked doors, fearing for their lives. Jesus comes and stands among them, breathing his Spirit on them and bestowing to them his peace. We too can receive his breath of life this day, as we rejoice in the new life we receive from him. May we be…
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Easter Poems – “He is risen!” (37)
Stunned shock turns into joy when Mary wonders first where Jesus’ body is, and then when he speaks her name, she knows immediately it’s him. I love that – the instant recognition of the one who loves you most who speaks your name. And note Peter in true form, dashing ahead of John to…
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Celebrate – He Is Risen! Alleluia!
Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! After forty days of no alleluias, we bring out the word in style today, speaking it with joy and gratitude. As I say in my book, Finding Myself in Britain: We build up to Easter with a forty-day season of reflection, and yet we seem not to…
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Lenten Poems – “It is finished” (36)
On this most holy of days, I have to go straight to the crucifixion of Jesus and come back later to the wonderful Last Discourse. For on this day we remember the biggest sacrifice our Lord could have made – giving his very life that we might have new life. The story unrolls like a…
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Lenten Poems – “The True Vine” (35)
Jesus is the vine and we are the branches. He prunes us that we’ll be more fruitful. Painful pruning, but for growth and flourishing. How is he pruning you? How are you growing?
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Lenten Poems – “The Welcoming Trinity” (34)
Oh how I love these words of Jesus: “I and in my Father and you are in me and I am in you.” What a concept, that the three persons of the Trinity dwell in each other, and we dwell in them, and they in us. Utterly transforming. Mind-boggling. Humbling. Wonderful. On this day when…
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Lenten Poems – “The Father and the Son” (33)
We’ve made it to some of my very favorite parts of Scripture – the Last Discourse as it’s known, when Jesus prepares his friends for his death and resurrection. In these chapters (roughly 14 to 17), he promises the coming Advocate (the Holy Spirit) four times. He won’t be leaving them as orphans, for the…
