Those who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. – Isaiah 40:31

Beloved,

Everyone waits. Waiting is part of our everyday experience; whether we wait for something or someone – whether we wait with joy or dread. In the modern world, much of our stress has to do with an inability to be patient and wait. We desire to hurry through life. Still, today, we will all wait. We will wait to help or be helped; we will wait in line; we will wait to remember or be remembered.

Our help is in the Name of the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth. ~ Psalm 124:8

Beloved,

Last Sunday I experienced a holy and priestly moment that I will not soon forget. A three-year-old child walked confidently to the altar, stepped up on a stool, and began preparing the altar for communion. A deacon later joined her and assisted with pouring the wine into the chalice. I could not help but think about the words of Jesus: “... let the little children come …

May God be merciful to us and bless us, show us the light of his countenance and come to us. ~ Psalm 67:1

The current rainy and frigid weather reminds me of our dependency on God and our need for one another. We are eager to escape the chilly cold; the careful yet hasty steps we take to keep from falling on ice are both deliberate and measured. We try to be swift and safe all at the same time. We wear protective garments and shoes, lean on supportive fixtures, and employ the help of others to make the necessary progress without fumbling or falling. This is Festina Lente, a Latin phrase that bids us to “make haste slowly.” …

“Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. ~ I Samuel 3:10

When we are first called to our life’s purpose, the voice of God, though familiar, is not always extraordinary or well-defined. It is often as ordinary as the call of our families and friends. As such, its beckoning cry is easily ignored, overlooked, or even silenced. Extraordinary moments and circumstances tend to grab our attention quickly and for an instant. It is, however, the ordinary in these extraordinary situations, and our connections to them, that invites us to return again and again to the possibility that God is really speaking to us. When we experience a glimpse of this clarity, we find the courage, and are encouraged, to stay and listen. This call, this voice, is the first seed bearing witness to God’s presence within us. …