blessing

The Daily Office today invites me to see the context of a favorite part of worship--the blessing of Aaron. Here's the context for a beloved part of week after week worship. And it's tucked into Israel's census book in Numbers 6:22-27

the LORD bless you and keep you
the LORD make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you;
the LORD up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.
Numbers 6:24-26 NRSV

Here in the middle of a book counting who was in and who was out of the nation comes this great blessing. Words for Aaron to share with the people in God's name--on God's behalf. Word's of hope and grace right in the midst of a book about knowing who counted as part of God's people.

Sow what?

It's just about time to plant the garden. My just before Memorial Day ritual. Get dirty and sow seeds and plants in the ground. Peppers and tomatoes sprouted a few weeks ago in starter trays. The survivors of the wind this Sunday are just on the edge of being hardy enough and ready to plant. I spaded over the earth and rain's generously come--just the night after I finished. The question now: What to plant? Peas, carrots, spinach, lettuce, sweet basil, onion sets, zucchini, yellow squash, green beans and wax beans (I call them yellow beans because my girls don't want to eat wax). There's still a few spots in the plot to consider.

What to sow? In some ways it sounds like a spiritual question. What do I plant--in the ground the seed choice is obvious. In me maybe it's less obvious what gets seeded and what doesn't. Sow what? Paul talked about it in Galatians 6:7-9

Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow. If you sow to your own flesh, you will reap corruption from the flesh; but if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life from the Spirit. So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up. Galatians 6:7-9 NRSV

Sow what? In May it's a great decision--what do I want to have on my table at the end of summer--it gets decided right now. Same goes for many other dimensions of my life.
Peace and thanks for reading

Really Present?

What does it mean to be present.
In communion Jesus says he'll be with us
he took bread and broke it saying take and eat, this is my body given for you.
Take this cup and drink from it this cup is the new testament in my blood she for you.
So Jesus is here with us.
But often times we are "here" for the people we share this planet with everyday.
How many times have I been focussed on my phone or a newspaper or a radio report or a TV show or a song lyric and missed something important to somebody nearby.
Jesus is here he says in communion--not like a dead corpse (Pat Keifert wisely notes)--but here for us and with us.
How about me--am I more than just a body to my family and friends.  Am I here present with them in this moment.
So much to think about.

writing again

Ok
so I am trying this out again.
I am hoping to get writing again.
Not sure why I've been gone from writing for so long
Maybe it's that my own story has been complicated.
I have a goal, and it's simple

a little writing every few days.
Not hours just a few minutes on quiet mornings after reading the Daily Office

I hope to work on short stories, poetry, and prose.
And the reason is simple.
Words have power.
From a great lyric to sermon--political discourse to a movie words have power.  And I am hoping to understand how that power works
and so i will be writing