This week on Christmas Eve, I attended a worship service like many other Christians around the world. The story of the birth of Christ was read and the verse that stood out for me was the following: And the angel said to them, ‘Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy … Continue reading Fear Not: Shepherds and Online Dating
faith
Christmas: Focus on Love
Now it's just days away from Christmas and time to finish all the preparations. The season's not as frantic as it was when I was working and raising our sons. But still, time goes by quickly and things I intended to accomplished will be left undone. This is the 4th Sunday in the Christian season … Continue reading Christmas: Focus on Love
Choosing Joy: Holidays and Ordinary Days
This Sunday is the third of the Christian Advent season. The Shepherd's candle will be lit and symbolizes Joy. I have lots of memories of singing the triumphant carol, "Joy to the World!" with small, lit candles held high with fellow worshippers. Photo by Miff Ibra on Pexels.com At those moments, I was mostly thinking … Continue reading Choosing Joy: Holidays and Ordinary Days
Walking a Path of Faith
This Sunday will mark the second in the season of Advent and the Faith candle will be lit. For me, the Christmas story of Mary and Joseph on their sojourn to Bethlehem, is mostly a story of faith. The practical reason for this trip was to pay taxes. But the overarching story is to fulfill … Continue reading Walking a Path of Faith
Subtleties of the Season: Leaning into Hope
Over the days leading into Thanksgiving, I watched the changing of colors from the bright autumnal golds and reds to the muted monochromatic of beige and browns. Beauty is less obvious in the fading, but it's there in subtlety. While the bold oranges of Halloween get our attention, the muted colors of waning flowers and … Continue reading Subtleties of the Season: Leaning into Hope
Encourage One Another
There have been moments this week when I've felt overwhelmed, vulnerable. Mostly those times come when I'm tired, spent from doing too much or not sleeping well. While I make an effort to look at life from a positive point of view, when I'm tired, that all falls apart. That was the case last Tuesday … Continue reading Encourage One Another
Love and Light at Easter
On this Good Friday, I'm thinking back over the years of my family's traditions at Easter. In reading my post Easter Past, Easter Present written in April of 2019, I recall the days around this special holiday when I was a girl. I noted that as much as we all loved Christmas, there were things I … Continue reading Love and Light at Easter
Internal Pilgrimage: Plunging into Mystery
In the last two posts, I've explored aspects of the internal pilgrimage that we're all walking using Christine Walter's Paintner's gifts of embracing doubt. ( p112, Ch. 7, "The Practice of Embracing the Unknown" The Soul of a Pilgrim: Eight Practices for the Journey Within ) When thinking about mystery, I considered why it is … Continue reading Internal Pilgrimage: Plunging into Mystery
You Are Enough
That Saturday morning a year ago, I stood waiting for the ferry that would take me across the sound to the island of Iona for my week's stay at the Abbey. I'd dreamed of going to Scotland to that historic pilgrimage site and it was becoming a reality. When the ferry workers were preparing for … Continue reading You Are Enough
Connie Rosser Riddle 