Lord, teach me. . . .

Memories of our lives, of our works and deeds, will continue in others. –Rosa Parks In the States, this weekend marks Memorial Day, when we pause to remember all who gave their lives fighting for this country. It’s an important time, and an important thing to do. But for churches, it can be difficult. It can be hard on veterans who made it home, but left fellow soldiers behind. It can be difficult to listen to the stories of battles won and lives lost. It can be a challenge to find ways to remember and honor these soldiers without glorifying the violence and wars they participated in, especially as history calls into question the necessity of going into such a war in the first place. As we pause to reflect and remember this weekend, I am suggesting this approach: Pause and remember the soldiers who gave their lives out of love; look around in your life for ways you can reflect a love for God that goes beyond any other love. Then give thanks for the soldiers w...

There is nothing worse than doing nothing and saying nothing  when your voice is needed. –Soledad O’Brien As a church, we are called to be open and inviting. After all, we say, Jesus was welcoming to everyone , and we should be, too. Many churches fly a rainbow flag out front to affirm their commitment to being open to anyone who is curious about the One we worship and wants to join us in our time together. But as followers of the Christ, there are definite times we need to Just Say No. Some things, some behaviors are simply incompatible with the Reign of God in the world. As our faith grows stronger, our voices should grow louder. The things which surely break God’s heart should cause our hearts to hurt, as well; empowered by the Holy Spirit, we can and should call these things out and work to eliminate them in our communities. Just Say No . No to injustice. No to discrimination based on race, gender or any other perceived reason. No to cruelty. No to n...

Be faithful in small things, because it is in them that your strength lies. –Mother Teresa It happens to me all the time, and I bet it happens to you, too. I’m running late, and I really dislike running late. I race around like a madwoman, grab my things and blow out the door, rolling my eyes in disgust. There is no way I am going to be on time. Ack! But as I begin the drive, I notice: traffic seems lighter than expected. I’m hitting every single light—green. And as I pull into the parking lot, there’s a space waiting for me , right up front. I glance at my watch. Somehow, I’m not late. I’m not even on time. I am early ! And then—I just can’t help it—I give thanks: for the traffic, the green lights, the parking space. My eyes roll (again), and I go through my usual monologue with God, because I am acutely aware that every green light for me meant a red light for many of God’s other children. So my monologue usually goes something like this: God, I really...