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I was lent the book, The Boy, The Mole, The Fox, and The Horse. It is a gathering of artful thoughtfulness. Even as I read, I thought of people that I wanted to share the journey with, so I have ordered a couple of copies that I can pass along. But on this Wednesday in Lent, I share with you a quip from the book ~          ...

'What about suffering,' she asked. 'Is it necessary?' 'Well,' the conversation continued, 'in suffering we may just become tender, aware of our vulnerability and thus our need for both God and community.' 'Yes, perhaps suffering is necessary.' Twice this year ~ September and February ~ calamity has struck. {With my tongue in my cheek, I am totally ...

The power pole had been so compromised, that it leaned precariously across the highway, just enough room for a pickup to drive under the upper side. Not safely, I'm fairly certain; however, in order to get to work, I know that people were indeed coming and going via this route. Like so many images captured during the great-ice-event of 2021, the im...

Even if you didn't lose an entire tree {or trees!} in the Great Ice Storm of 2021, most of us have trees that were dismantled from their former stature or glory. Every tree around our house suffered ice damage. And now, until an expert shows up in our backyard, we will suffer the torment of waiting for more cracked or compromised limbs to tumble do...

The bight sunshine beckoned me out of the office for a walkabout this afternoon, where I ran into several of you. The sun shining, grace upon grace. Seeing you face-to-face, grace upon grace. It is a Wednesday night in Lent and we are preparing for vespers; Joyous Light this year, grace upon grace. Another member of our staff has had electricity re...

VRMMMM. The incessant roar fills our ears morning, midday and sometimes into the night. VRMMMM. Again we seek freedom from the storms that rage around us, this time threatening to bury us beneath the broken limbs, trees and our own roof. VRMMMM. Already we are starved for the freedom to gather and hug. We miss our families, our church family. ...

On Sunday, in lieu of a traditional sort of message, Pastor Manuel and I had a conversation; with Jesus' wilderness temptation as the framework, we spoke honestly about the hardships of this last year, the ongoing struggles and the blessings. My hope in the endeavor was multi-faceted. Certainly, the vision included pastoral transparency, but the ot...

What are you giving up for Lent? It is a question that emerges from a variety of Christian traditions. But a reminder from Pastor Manuel in his homily on Ash Wednesday, the goal of any fast is to bring us into a closer relationship {to be reconciled} with the Divine. With that in mind, I am drawn to the fasting list that Pope Francis offered t...

Lord, when did we see you hungry or cold or frightened? When you saw the most vulnerable among you, it was me. ~ {A very loose paraphrase from Matthew 25.} It intrigues me, the stories that emerge during a crisis. The ways that people shine ~ or not ~ when things are anxious, stressful or difficult. While we have had our share of weather, things re...

Potentional meditation for the Lenten season: 'Don't waste this suffering.' Pastor Leah 

Did you know? Did you know that one of the ministries that has emerged during these covid-months involves Joel Autry, a crew of masked volunteers and the church kitchen? Working together for the sake of our hungry neighbors, these folks gather to 'cook up' solutions to local hunger. Which is to say, each week the church is blessed with the rich aro...

On my desk in a small plaque ~ 'The best thing to do when it's raining is to let it rain.' I have seen signs that urge ~ 'Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass; it's about learning to dance in the rain.' Either way, Monday seems a good day to speak a word of encouragement to seek beauty or peace or meaning or delight right where you a...

Recently I had the opportunity to hike with Wichita, our daughter's dog, our grand-dog. Not only is she full of energy and joy, I'm pretty sure that there is plenty about life that I could learn from her ~ A treat, best treat ever… Another dog along the way, best new best friend… Each day, best day ever… Whatever your day holds, may you perceive it...

A reoccurring question at Immanuel: 'And where did you see the Face of God?' I am told by some forever-churched-people, that with that thought embedded in their hearts, they now watch and see the world differently ~ ever watchful for God to show up. Expecting God. This Sunday the query will be a bit more specific, as in 'Where do you see God in cre...

The first time we attempted to hike Koosah and Sahalie falls, we were forced to turn back just beyond Sahalie falls because the trail was iced over and we were not adequately prepared. This time we arrived with hiking boots, and shoe grippers, and snowshoes. It turned out that we needed the snowshoes. The lot was unkept, so we parked alongside the ...

This morning I checked in with a friend who lives out at the Oregon Coast. Before going deep, the conversation began with a weather report. Looking out her westward facing window, she saw blue sky. The east facing window was overcast-gray. Immediately I knew I had a blog-thought: which window will we look out? It is the same 'cup half full, cup hal...

The guttle-guys {the technical term, I'm sure} are back at work. So far today, they have been sunned on, poured on and then sunned on again. Our gutters are full-on gushing and the drenched workers are still up the lift, replacing the old system. It has been quite some time since I spoke to you of the Keep Going On Song. {You can find it on YouTube...

The daffodils, pushing through. Zoom school, pushing through. Covid protocols, pushing through. End of life, pushing through. Alternative worship, pushing through. Vaccination jabs, pushing through. Waiting and waiting and waiting, pushing through. Keeping on, pushing through. Resurrection hope, always pushing through. Pastor Leah 

A gift from St. Julian of Norwich ~ 'God makes it, God loves it, God keeps it. All will be well.'  May it be well with your spirit my friend. Pastor Leah

On Sunday we got a video from our daughter in London. At long last the promised snow was gently falling; with the English architectural in the background, it was a sight to behold. The rest of Sunday, I had an eye on my phone, which kept reporting that it was snowing here in town. Again and again, I went to the window, only to discover that my phon...