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It's Valentine's day! Yay! Let's dream of love and romance and all the things we need to make a relationship last... It's Ash Wednesday! Yay! Let's dream of love and sacrifice and all the things we need to make a relationship last... My mum (age 95) plans to walk five times around the garden each day during Lent. She's going to give up chocolate too. My pastor will give up after-the-sermon chats. And me? I know I'm dreaming of love today--the earthly love of a spouse caring for me when I've broken my wrist--the heavenly love of my creator who came to earth to live in a human body--the love that shines on a cloudy day, glints warmth from snow, reigns hope. For Lent, I'll try to remember I'm not in control (of the weather, politics, global warming, human sexuality, or anything else that everyone talks about). Neither is anyone else. I'll try to remember there's a God who will make it all work out. And I'll love my neighbor, whatever th...

Missed Connections

March 24, 2020

I did not answer Did not see Your message. Did Not mean To leave you hanging. No reply. Now I’m Delighted that You caught me. Found me innocent No hanging offense After all, or fence To separate us, but We’ll meet. I’m glad You’re going To drop by.

Not Odd At All

December 26, 2023

A pastor said it was "odd" to celebrate communion during Advent. Christmas is a birthday party, he said, and communion is a funeral. Then I wished I were brave enough to speak up and disagree. Christmas is a celebration of birth, not a birthday party - the baby doesn't grow one year older every year. But that birth only matters, two thousand years on, because of the person who is born; because of heaven come down to earth; because of the promise embodied in the Christ. And communion? In communion we commit ourselves to be part of Christmas's promise; we "do this in memory" of him. We say yes, this matters. This changes everything. Without communion, Christmas doesn't touch us, doesn't have any effect. And without Christmas, communion becomes a commitment that's meaningless. Just social and fun (and still not a funeral). So no, it's not "odd" at all. Communion makes us part of the meaning of Christmas. We might call the season Jesus...