Tag: humanity
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Reflecting on Genesis 4 1-16
What thoughts and feelings do we have as we read the story of the first murder? Do we grieve for Abel? Find ourselves empathizing, at least a little, with Cain? Or for Adam and Eve, who lose both of their children in a single day? Or do we have thoughts about God’s role in this […]
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Shabbat shalom
Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it. If one offered for love all the wealth of one’s house, it would be utterly scorned. Song of Songs, 8:7 Congratulations to our beloved niece and our new nephew, on the first day of what we hope will be a long and happy journey together […]
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Reflecting on Lamentations 5
We are studying Lamentations 5, the concluding poem in the book of Lamentations, for Sunday, April 25. [Some notes on the text are here.] Here are a few questions we might want to consider, and perhaps discuss, as we study this text: How do we ourselves read the text? For instance, do we read it […]
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Humanity
Jesus probably loved birds. Don’t you think? Because lots of people love birds. Jesus seems like he would have been one of those people. I was startled into thinking of this yesterday. The author of a book I’m reading (James Martin, SJ, Learning to Pray: A Guide for Everyone) quotes Pope Francis talking about how […]
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Reflecting on Leviticus 19 18, Luke 10 25-37
We are studying Leviticus 19:18 and Luke 10:25-37 for Sunday, October 18. This is the commandment to love your neighbor as yourself, and Jesus’s commentary on the commandment, in the form of the parable of the Good Samaritan. [Some notes on the text are here.] Here are some questions we might want to consider as […]
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Connection – Calm & Careful
Our congregation is small, our sanctuary is spacious, and our local community is still in the “green zone,” so we went ahead with Sunday morning worship. We didn’t “pass the peace” or the offering plate, and we left lots of space between people – we used all the sections of the sanctuary, which hasn’t happened […]
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Epiphany
Our new interim pastor was out of town because of a death in the family – alas! – so we had a visiting preacher who reminded us of a quotation by Edith Wharton: There are two ways of spreading light: to be The candle or the mirror that reflects it. [The quote is from a […]
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The Darkest Evening of the Year
Tonight, on this longest (“darkest”) evening of the year, my thoughts turn once again to … Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening. Since I heard one of my professors tell this story, I have always experienced a twinge of embarrassed hesitation to admit this. Here’s the story: A friend of mine took a class […]
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Beauty: A Reminder
Sharing this: “On Poetry and Prose: Defining the Undefinable,” a typically smart reflection on literature, writing and teaching by P.L. Thomas. [Yes, what if we stuck with the the project of “seeking a definition” of religion in a class on religion, “rather than imposing one”?] Mainly because: “This can happen anywhere.” Thank you for the […]
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Feels like truth
The human task is threefold. First, the human spirit must connect to the eternal by turning toward God’s immanence and ineffability with yearning. Second, each person must explore the inner reality of his or her humanity facing unmet potential and catastrophic failure with unmitigated honesty and grace. Finally, each one of us must face the […]
Matters of Interpretation 