The King of Sheep (and Goats)

The King of Sheep (and Goats)

It seems that Christ the King is not your average king,; in fact, he may even be a better shepherd than he is a king. He’s near to all in need and tells us to move toward them as well. In fact, he tells us that we will find him when we move to the margins and encounter vulnerable people. We may even meet Christ when we ourselves feel vulnerable.

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Wise Women, Slackers, and Sacred Boundaries

Wise Women, Slackers, and Sacred Boundaries

We each need to be attentive and responsible, open to God, and true to ourselves. If we discern well, we’ll know whether life circumstances call for generosity or for setting a boundary. So, be wise, everyone. Strengthen your back and soften your heart and be attentive to the presence of God.

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The Peace of God Will Guard Your Hearts and Minds

 The Peace of God Will Guard Your Hearts and Minds

God doesn’t ask us to deny our heartbreaks, but God does want to protect us from the further harm that comes from ruminating on negativity. Life brings hard things, but it also offers things which are true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, gracious, excellent, and worthy of praise. What if we spend some of our prayer reflecting on the good in our lives and some of it sharing the difficult things with God? “Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard [our] hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

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I'm Not God (Thanks Be to God)

I'm Not God (Thanks Be to God)

God is somewhere within me and you, but God is still God. The fullness of God is more than just me, vastly more. I need to be reminded that God is great Mystery, the omniscient Creator of the universe, that gentle but powerful Presence that cares for me and for all people and creation beyond what we can even imagine.

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There's No Such Thing as a Spiritual Life Hack

There's No Such Thing as a Spiritual Life Hack

There are no spiritual life hacks into the Kingdom of God. It's something we work to build bit by bit, something that emerges from within us as we keep growing in the spiritual life. God loves us as we are and invites us to be more. In God’s invitation, there will likely be a little bit of challenge, and that’s okay. Challenge is how we grow. Someday we’ll look back and see how far we’ve come.

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Darkness and Light

Darkness and Light

Darkness and light are neither good nor bad; they’re both parts of the whole. We can’t consider suffering apart from resurrection, and we can only enter into resurrection joy while bearing the experience of suffering. Are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death and resurrection? Christ is with us in darkness and light.

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Holding Joy and Sorrow, Palm Sunday Reflection

Holding Joy and Sorrow, Palm Sunday Reflection

Palm Sunday shows us the extremes of human experiences as Jesus is celebrated but then betrayed, condemned, and executed. We see how fast things can change – in this Passion story and in our own lives too. However, through all of life’s joys and sorrows, we can trust that God is with us. And when the intensity of it all feels like too much to hold, God holds us.

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