Our Weekly Devotionals are created by our staff and members to inspire reflections and conversation.
Life Finds A Way
Life finds a way…. In the spring weeds that miraculously break through the cracks and crevices of our driveways, in newborn creatures of all shapes and sizes who instinctively grasp on to and grow into this new world they’ve entered, in those of any age fighting illness & disease who with the help of the science of medicine and dedicated health care workers sometimes unexpectedly find healing…life finds a way.
Land of Abundance
We adopted Nelson, a female terrier mix, last April. She is an intelligent, high-energy dog that needs a lot of attention. We should have done more research on the needs of terriers before adopting her.
Keeping the Ukrainian Easter Tradition
Years ago, I learned how to make Ukrainian Easter Eggs, or Pysanky, at an Orthodox church in town. The custom was born in the weeks of Lent, when eggs were not to be eaten, so they were designed with the intricate patterns Pysanky are known for.
Writing
Write, write, write, that's my job right now. And rightly so, for like any old wright I have my craft, my right and true trade. At the time of writing, I have written 17,000 words out of the 70,000 needed for my dissertation.
Fierce. Honest. Bold.
The above photo, taken by New York Times photographer Sarahbeth Maney on the first day of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s Supreme Court confirmation hearings, is a powerful image that’s been shared widely on social media.
I was a stranger, and you welcomed me...
Sadly, the world's population of refugees is growing at an alarming rate. According to the UN, more than 84 million people from around the world have been forced to flee their homelands.
Lots of These Little Things
“Mom, will there be a World War III?” she asked from the back seat of the car. I had just picked up Cadence from school, and after the usual, “How was your day?” chit chat, she blindsided me with this big, heavy question. Normally, when I’m given a big, heavy question, I can say with certainty that we’ll be ok, and that the big, bad event is too far off, too far away, or too unrealistic to worry about.
Wilderness
First of all, how many people would voluntarily wander around in the desert for forty days? I can’t seem to get to church for an hour each Sunday. Or remember to check the tread on my tires. Or find a Saturday to meet Sofia halfway for lunch. Forty days? No one has forty days anymore.
It’s OK!
Jane Marczewski (aka “Knightbirde”) was a singer on this year’s edition of America’s Got Talent. A beautiful young lady who sang an original song entitled “It’s OK”. She sang right after she had informed the judges that she had cancer in her lungs, liver, and spine.
The Beloved Community
I’m the child of immigrants who fled a communist country, and I grew up in the 70’s and 80’s. So yeah, you better believe I have some big feelings about the latest Olympic controversy involving a Russian athlete.
A Promise of a Future
February is the worst month. Mid-winter, no major celebrations to look forward to, and Christmas and New Year’s already distant feeling memories.
Bearing Witness
I read an article in Wired magazine in titled: “Why Is It So Hard to Believe in Other People’s Pain?” that has stuck with me….
A Professional Skeptic’s Approach to Faith
I am a professionally trained skeptic. As I write my doctoral dissertation, I’ve spent a great deal of time studying both historical records, the primary sources of the human experience, and the vast array of secondary literature analyzing and debating those records of our past.
A Single Garment of Destiny
“It really boils down to this: that all life is interrelated. We are all caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied into a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one destiny, affects all indirectly.” – Martin Luther King, Jr…Read More
Speaking Truth to Power
Wyoming Representative Liz Cheney is a boss. I may not agree with her usual politics, but man has she impressed me this last year.