Hallowed be Thy name. Without thinking very much, we say this part of the first sentence in our Christian family prayer. It just slips out of our mouths by rote. “Hallowed” is an unusual word in our vocabulary today. It means greatly revered and honoured, set apart. I can think of two reasons why Jesus…
As the New Year bgins, and Covid continues to vex us, I’ve been thinking about the Lord’s Prayer. I remember telling my church kids that this prayer is really a Christian family prayer. People the world over pray the Lord’s Prayer. Years ago, I attended Sunday morning worship on Margarita Island, Venezuela. The service, of…
Over the last fifty years our thanksgiving celebrations have morphed into a focus on family and food. In many homes, God is excluded. Church, family prayers, naming our blessings gets lost in the party. Many of us believe that we’ve earned it all through hard work and intelligence. The beauty of the world, enough to…
Does God Really Answer Prayers? Well, the Bible tells us so. Jesus said, “Ask and it shall be given unto you.” Many times, I have prayed fervently for something, and it felt as if God was busy somewhere else, or had turned off the phone. Friends have told me that God answers every prayer, it’s…
Today, as I leave April behind and step into the sunshine and flowers of spring our Easter story still lingers in my heart. This morning’s “Daily Bread Devotional” drew me back to Jesus’ washing his disciples’ feet. Reflecting on the question, “How do we continue to wash one another’s feet today?” these thoughts came to…
Written April 7 at 5:a.m. Today, and the next two months require prayer in our family. They are and will continue to be a lesson in trusting God. Actually, every day of our lives requires trust – a mountain of trust for all of us. Today I am acutely aware that I need to trust…
Many years ago, when I was teaching high school full time, I discovered I was much more comfortable teaching with my classroom door closed, even though I knew it helped with ventilation to have it open. I wasn’t worried about distractions coming from the hallway. That closed door gave me freedom just to be…
Image by congerdesign from Pixabay “Alone, Together” in Prayer? Yesterday, I reread a favourite book of my grandchildren. Children are so wise. They know the wonder of books as friends to be enjoyed, over and over again. This morning, I returned to my cherished reflection book, “The Only Necessary Thing,” a collection of Henri Nouwen’s reflections on prayer….