Remnant: a small remaining part—leftovers, habitat, people
As a child, I knew a remnant meant a small remaining part, such as fabric or leftovers, remnants of a meal. A remnant could also be a natural habitat that hadn’t been significantly disturbed. As a believing adult, I learned that, Biblically, a remnant often refers...
Making decline—physical, social, spiritual—into a positive
Physical decline challenged us during the Maundy Thursday service last week. Keith’s hearing aids failed, curtailing his ability to socialize, and I’m still adjusting to ergonomic aids for my flute. In the Bible, "decline" often signifies spiritual...
Am I becoming lazy about ordinary work, deceptions, and trust?
Being lazy isn’t something I usually think about during Holy Week, given how much is going on at church: assembling meals for those in need and Palm Sunday this past weekend, Tuesday evening music rehearsal, Maundy Thursday service, Good Friday, and Resurrection...
Harmony only works if it includes both consonance and dissonance
I do pretty well picking out harmony in my work at church: reading scripture, playing flute with the Worship Team, singing alto with the choir, and serving on the Women’s Ministry team. Believe me, I am honored to be able to produce...
Link-ups delayed—postponed, waiting, tested, slowed—no longer
Last Friday, we Five-Minute Friday participants received a note from founder Kate Motaung saying that due to tech issues, the link-up would be delayed. She wrote, “I'll send another email when it's live (but it might be a day or two or three) 🙂 Sorry to...
A story about polite asking, complaints, and answering
I discovered this week that it’s extra important to be polite when I really, really want something to happen and it’s not happening as planned. In other words, polite when I’m being tested: my will or God’s? For the past few years, I’ve been dealing with...