Dear Lenten Pilgrims,
In March 2010, during a family trip to Paris, we visited the Rodin Museum, featuring the work of the great sculptor Auguste Rodin. We saw his most famous sculpture, The Thinker, along with many other amazing works.
In contrast to the smooth finish and polished marble of the Greco-Roman statues we saw at the Louvre, Rodin’s pieces are raw and rough, with the appearance of weight and gravitas that portray his view of the human condition. To be human, for Rodin, was not to be light and perfect, but to be encumbered by frailty and struggle.
The most moving example of this quality is his sculpture of The Prodigal Son, whose story is our scripture passage in worship this Sunday:
Notice dark and heavy it appears, much like the story itself. The man is on his knees, his body anchored into the ground, weighted down by life, unable to move. Yet he still reaches upward, his arms extended in a sweeping, soaring arc of repentance and desperation, hoping and longing for some way – and some one – to get him out of his mess. His right hand is open, begging, pleading for a blessing and a second chance. But the other hand is clenched, a fistful of anger and bitterness at his lot in life.
PRAYING AS THE PRODIGAL
Over the next few days, I invite you to prayerfully prepare for worship by pondering how you are like the prodigal right now. In what ways are you both open-handed and clench-fisted? How are we both beggars for a blessing, while also bitter at life? Longing for mercy, while angry at our situation? How do you feel stuck, yet still able to reach up and reach out for the love and mercy of God?
As part of your prayerful meditation, consider this beautiful poem by the great nineteenth century poet Christina Rosetti, told from the perspective of the prodigal at the lowest point of his despair:
A Prodigal Son
by Christina Rossetti
Does that lamp still burn in my Father’s house,
Which he kindled the night I went away?
I turned once beneath the cedar boughs,
And marked it gleam with a golden ray;
Did he think to light me home some day?
Hungry here with the crunching swine,
Hungry harvest have I to reap;
In a dream I count my Father’s kine,
I hear the tinkling bells of his sheep,
I watch his lambs that browse and leap.
There is plenty of bread at home,
His servants have bread enough and to spare;
The purple wine-fat froths with foam,
Oil and spices make sweet the air,
While I perish hungry and bare.
Rich and blessed those servants, rather
Than I who see not my Father’s face!
I will arise and go to my Father:–
“Fallen from sonship, beggared of grace,
Grant me, Father, a servant’s place.”
Join us Sunday as we explore the beauty and power of this important parable, and experience the grace, love, and forgiveness of God, freely given to you.
Grace and Peace,
Magrey
Dear Hyde Park Family,
Last week, I returned from spending a few days in San Diego, where my older daughter Grace is a junior at San Diego State. My younger daughter Madelyn flew over from Washington, D.C., giving the three of us a fun time to reconnect.
One day, Maddy and I decided to hike up Cowles Mountain, the highest elevation in San Diego County. It is a 1.5-mile trail that ascends 940 feet above sea level. By the time we got to the top, our smart watches told us we climbed the equivalent of 62 flights of stairs. Though the trail was clearly marked, it was filled with stony, uneven terrain, making for a cautious hike the entire way up. Here is a picture of one of the steep, rocky inclines:
Along the 45-minute walk up, there was a lot of time to ponder. And that meant time for this preacher to connect the hike with the experiences of life.
UPHILL AND DOWNHILL MOMENTS
Life is filled with highs and lows, mountains to climb and valleys to descend. We’ve all experienced both. Uphill climbs are hard, as we navigate steep grades of struggle and suffering, and every step is a challenge. You may be going through such a time now.
Then we have better moments, over the top moments, when life feels like a downhill cruise full of freedom and joy.
But here’s the thing: often, it feels like both at the same time. Most moments can feel like an indistinguishable combination of both highs and lows. Struggling in some areas, liberated in others. That may be where you are right now, uphill and downhill, all at once.
And maybe that ambiguity is okay. Both the uphill and downhill moments offer us spiritual wisdom.
GRACE IN THE UPHILL
As I climbed Cowles Mountain, it was obvious what a chore it was. My legs burned, my feet became sore, my back and shoulders began to ache. But because each step was treacherous, the uphill climb forced me to slow my pace, walk with intentionality, and be more mindful of each moment.
Uphill climbs, as hard as they are, prompt keener awareness, focus and clarity, and a greater appreciation of sites we might otherwise speed past. You also exercise muscles that can be made stronger for the long haul. Going uphill might seem laborious, but it has its redemptive qualities. It is tough, but it is good.
GRACE IN THE DOWNHILL
Walking downhill was a different story altogether! There was greater enthusiasm and energy, as Maddy and I believed that the worst was over. Our pace quickened; each step felt lighter.
But we discovered that going downhill also has its challenges. The walk might have felt easier, but the need to focus was even greater. We had to watch our feet to avoid even a slight misstep that could lead to a tumble. The wear of Maddy’s soles was more noticeable, and she slipped much more often going down than on the way up. At one point, she mused, “I think gravity can be both friend and foe.”
Downhill moments might feel more joyful, but they still require awareness. We have to be even more mindful of slowing down when life is going well, so that we can savor and be present to each moment.
GRACE IN EVERY MOMENT
There is both grace and caution in every moment of life, whether it is an incline, a decline, or most often, a combination of the two. We discover that a secret to a grounded life, one that is centered in Christ, is one that refrains from letting our highs get too high, or our lows from getting too low. Each moment brings reasons for gratitude, discipline, reflection, patience, and joy.
By the time Maddy and I got down the hill and headed for our car, there was relief and a sense of pride in our accomplishment. There was also gratitude that we were able to experience it together, and that neither of us were alone.
And neither are you.
Grace and Peace,
Magrey
Dear Lenten Pilgrims,
Five years ago, I wrote a Midweek Message titled “Ten Other Things You Might Give Up for Lent,” which was subsequently picked up and published by Ministry Matters, our denomination’s online publication. You may wish to refer back to it as a guide for your Lenten journey.
This year, I’ve decided to add to that list, with three more aspects of life that you might choose to surrender over to God:
Give Up Negative Self Talk
We all tend to be our own worst critics, and there is nothing inherently wrong with identifying ways to improve. But there comes a point when self-motivation can drift into self-mutilation, and you need to offer grace to yourself. Identify the triggers that get you wandering toward self-negativity, and before you go too far, remember that you are fearfully and wonderfully made, and deeply loved by God. (Psalm 139:14)
Give Up Confirmation Bias
Whether we realize it or not, we each have implicit biases that govern the way we seek, process, and internalize information that confirms our prior beliefs and values. There may come a point where such confirmation bias insulates us from an awareness of and appreciation for a diversity of perspectives, and diminishes our capacity for empathy and the possibility of reconciliation. Adopt a mindset of openness to opinions that are not your own, so long as those opinions are not harmful to others. Diversify the sources from which you get your information. Assume a posture of humility, curiosity, and empathy in your conversations with others. (1 Corinthians 3:1-9)
Give Up Your Fear of Taking the Next Step
We would all prefer our lives to have more certainty and less ambiguity. We would love to have our future paths brightly illuminated and unmistakably clear. But God doesn’t always guide us in this way. What we have, most of the time, is just enough clarity to take the step that is before us, without knowing what next step is beyond that. As hard as it is to live this way, this is how we develop trust and obedience in our relationship with God. Take things one step at a time, at God’s pace, in God’s direction. Over time, you will discover that self-surrender – and not self-reliance – will move you into the bright future God intends for you. (Proverbs 3:5-6)
Grace and Peace,
Magrey
Dear Hyde Park Family,
As we begin this Lenten journey, we join our hearts and spirits in prayer for the devastation occurring in the country of Ukraine and the trauma experienced by its people around the world. We pray for an end to violence, comfort for the mourning and frightened, and an emergence of strong leadership to rise against tyranny and injustice.
May we be guided by the words of this spiritual anthem of the people of Ukraine. It is called “Prayer for Ukraine,” written by Oleksander Konysky, and is often sung at the conclusion of worship services in the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.
PRAYER FOR UKRAINE
Lord, oh the Great and Almighty,
Protect our beloved Ukraine,
Bless her with freedom and the light
Of your holy rays.
With learning and knowledge enlighten
Us, your children small,
In love pure and everlasting
Let us, oh Lord, grow.
We pray, oh Lord Almighty,
Protect our beloved Ukraine,
Grant our people and country
All your kindness and grace.
Bless us with freedom, bless us with wisdom,
Guide us into a kind world,
Bless us, oh Lord, with good fortune
Forever and evermore.
To continue in the spirit of this beautiful prayer, you might join us this Sunday at the 11:00 a.m. traditional service, as the Chancel Choir offers a rendition of this song.
UKRAINE RELIEF
In addition to prayer, you might choose to make a financial contribution to the efforts of our denomination’s relief agency, the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), which is in communication with partners in the region and actively exploring the coordination of humanitarian response in Ukraine. You can give through this link, and to read more click here.
THIS SUNDAY: OVERFLOWING
We begin a new Lenten worship series this Sunday titled “Overflowing: Living Life to God’s Fullest.” It invites us into an expansive embrace of God’s grace and forgiveness, through the self-emptying practices of obedience and surrender. To receive daily text messages that connect you to words of inspiration, encouragement, and prayer, click here.
Dear Hyde Park Family,
For today’s Midweek Message, I’m resurrecting (pun intended) a message from 2018, in which I playfully contemplate what the transfiguration of Jesus, observed by Christians this Sunday, might look like in today’s social media world.
See you Sunday!
Magrey
THIS SUNDAY: DIANA BUTLER BASS!
We are excited to welcome noted author and speaker Diana Butler Bass this Sunday, Feb. 27. She will preach our morning sermon, then offer a lecture on the subject of gratitude from 4-6 p.m. in the Harnish Center. It will include a book signing, where you can purchase a copy of “Grateful: the Subversive Art of Giving Thanks.” To register for the event, click here.
RECEIVE DAILY WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT THIS LENT
March 6 begins the season of Lent, with a worship series titled “Overflowing.” Our journey will be one of self-emptying and surrender, so that we can be filled to overflowing with the love and grace of God. Our journey will feature daily text messages that you can receive to give you brief insights and words of encouragement along the way. To sign up, click here.
Dear Hyde Park Family,
I love sessions with my therapist. They have been an important key to maintaining emotional wellness during this long, difficult season of life and ministry. Those of you with such a relationship with a therapist know these benefits; I’m grateful for mine.
At our first session years ago, she concluded by inviting me to answer two questions, which have marked the ending of each session ever since:
- What is one thing you are proud of since the last time we met?
- What is one thing you are looking forward to?
At first, those questions were hard to answer, especially during sessions when I felt so burdened by the present. I’ve since learned that this is precisely the point. The first question recalls and redeems the past; the second question anticipates and draws strength from the future. Both questions, together, have helped me get unstuck from the present.
It is now my favorite part of our sessions, and I ponder the answers before I arrive. More importantly, I have learned to ask these two questions of myself even between sessions, finding encouragement in the process.
I hope you have a person in your life with whom you can share answers to these questions., may it be a family member, friend, trusted colleague, or perhaps a professional therapist. You will discover that relationships like these, in which you can celebrate yourself without being perceived as boastful, will nourish you for the long haul.
If you’re willing, I would even love to hear your answers to these questions in this moment.
What are you proud of over these last few weeks?
What are you looking forward to?
I celebrate you!
Grace and Peace,
Magrey
Dear Hyde Park Family,
We are a week away from Thanksgiving, and I pray your days ahead will be filled with moments of joy, reflection, and connecting with loved ones.
As the season suggests, may there also be occasions for you to give deep thanks to God and to each other for the blessings that you enjoy. And may your expression of thanksgiving be more than just a special occurrence before an annual meal; may it become a way of life.
So, here are three practical tips you might consider for cultivating a pattern of gratitude in your life.
1. Be as Specific as You Can.
There have been seasons of my life when I have maintained a gratitude journal, in which I intentionally write down two or three things I am grateful for every day.
The best advice I have ever received about keeping a gratitude journal is “the more specific, the better.” It is easy (albeit important) to be grateful for broad, general things, like your family, your health, your job, and other basic necessities. But
research has shown that the more details you can give about specific experiences of gratitude, the more aware you will be of such blessings in the future.
For example, in my own gratitude journals, I have noted the following:
· The feeling of my bare feet on a newly cleaned floor, or the feeling of waking up in freshly cleaned bedsheets.
· Walking in the front door and seeing both my dogs wagging their tails in perfect sync.
· The rays of sunshine that poked through the trees as I was walking around my neighborhood, just as I was listening to a beautiful rendition of a favorite praise song.
2. Try the Daily Examen Prayer.
Many Christian communities observe the Daily Offices, a rhythm of daily prayer that aligns with different moments of the day. One of the evening prayers is called the
Daily Examen, which is a structured way to review the past day with prayer and gratitude. The following uses the pattern prescribed by St. Ignatius of Loyola.
Begin with a pause and a slow, deep breath or two; become aware that you are in the presence of the Holy.
Thanksgiving:
What am I especially grateful for in the past day:
· The gift of another day…
· The love and support I have received…
· The courage I have mustered…
· An event that took place today…
Petition and Review:
I am about to review my day; I ask for the light to know God and to know myself as God sees me.
· Where have I felt true joy today?
· What has troubled me today?
· What has challenged me today?
· Where and when did I pause today?
· Have I noticed God’s presence in any of this?
Response and Look Ahead:
· In light of my review, what is my response to the God of my life?
· As I look ahead, what comes to mind?
· With what spirit do I want to enter tomorrow?
3. Answer These Two Simple Questions.
Finally, you might find value in regularly answering the very same two questions that my therapist asks me at the conclusion of each of our sessions:
· Since we last met, what is one thing that you are proud of?
· What is one thing you are looking forward to?
I have learned to love those two questions, and it is often my favorite part of my therapy sessions. It has come to the point that I ask myself those questions even when I am not meeting my therapist.
No matter how hard life might become, God has empowered you to accomplish at least one thing that you can be proud of (and again, the more specific, the better.) And no matter how fearful or challenging the days ahead might feel to you, there is always something, even something small, that you can look forward to in the future.
So, friends, as you move into the week ahead, may it be filled with delightful, even surprising, reminders of all that God has done for you, in you, and through you.
Happy Thanksgiving!
ESTIMATE OF GIVING CARDS
Thank you to the many, many of you who have enabled us to get off to a strong start in receiving our estimates of giving for 2022. If you have not yet done so, please fill out your estimate by
clicking here. Your estimates of giving are the only way our Finance Committee has to accurately plan for all the ministries and programs God is calling us to do next year. Thank you!
Dear Hyde Park Family,
“AHHHH-LEX-AHHHHH … STOP!”
I have discovered the joys of teaching my elderly parents how to use the Alexa app on their Amazon Echo. I purchased it for them a few weeks ago to give them a way of playing Filipino music by their favorite artists.
The lessons have gone as you might expect. It’s Alexa, not Amanda. Yes, it should understand your accent. No, you don’t have to yell. Don’t forget to start with Alexa; simply saying “Play Rey Valera” won’t do.
I will give them credit. After a few days, they figured it out. “Oh, Magrey,” my Mom told me a few days ago, “this is the best gift. We are listening to it all the time.” And then she recounts for me all the artists, all the albums, and all the songs they have listened to, most of which I’ve never heard of and can’t pronounce. My Dad, more the pragmatist, wonders how Amazon makes money allowing access to all this music. Oh, they make their money, we decided.
Then last Monday night, I had probably the best laugh I’ve had in months.
My older daughter Grace, a student at San Diego State University, reached out to let me know that apparently, my parents’ Amazon Echo had somehow logged into her Spotify music streaming service. Grace was on Spotify on her computer, and suddenly it started playing whatever my parents were listening to.
Now, you need to know that Grace is not a pretentious person by nature. But when it comes to her Spotify music, she can be fiercely protective. She has carefully curated her music selections to provide ready access to whatever playlist fits her mood and activity in the moment. She has her classical music, her Broadway showtunes, her pop hits, her select artists, albums, and genres, ready to go, literally at the push of a button. And given Spotify’s carefully crafted algorithms, she is even particular about the music that Spotify recommends for her to listen to.
This is all to say that since figuring out how to use their newly beloved Amazon Echo, my parents have been interjecting music into Grace’s Spotify account. This prompted this hilariously frantic text message from her to me last Monday:
“Okay. Yes, please fix it, because it keeps cutting out what I’m listening to, and playing songs in Tagalog, And now I’m getting recommendations for Tagalog songs, too. It is quite jarring to go from “Pictures at an Exhibition” to “Saang Linggong Pag-Ibig.”
This is easily my favorite text message of the whole year.
I called my parents, while still texting Grace, to figure out what to do. I explained to my mother that somehow, Grace was hearing whatever songs they were listening to. “Oh,” my mother said, half-concerned, “Grace would love Celine Dion.”
Uh, huh.
But here is where the story goes from merely comical, to a whole new stratosphere of hilarity. Grace discovered this problem while at work, at the tutoring center on campus where she is employed by the university. It was her night to provide background music for the center, and she had hooked up her computer to the public sound system.
So, you guessed it. All the students in the room were being treated to spontaneous musical interruptions by certain Filipino artists, along with Celine Dion, Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton, and Barry Manilow.
Grace was mortified.
I fell asleep laughing Monday night, and woke up Tuesday morning laughing all over again.
I don’t know what to do with this story; all I know is that writing it out and archiving it as a Midweek Message helps me preserve it for future use. Maybe someday it will become a sermon illustration. Perhaps you can resonate with the challenges of being in the middle generation, parenting your children, while also caring for your parents.
Or, maybe, you just needed a good laugh. I did, and for that reason, I’m grateful. And as one of my Facebook friends said afterwards, it is a sign of good parenthood that I can still find a way to embarrass my child 3000 miles away.
Alas, my only regret is that this was all unintentional.
Grace and Peace,
Magrey
COMMITMENT SUNDAY
There’s no suitable segue into this, but this Sunday is Commitment Sunday. Thank you for filling out your Estimate of Giving Card, which you can fill out online. Our Finance Committee plans all its funding for ministries and programs based on your giving estimates, so every card goes a long way toward making a big difference. Join us this Sunday for worship as we celebrate God’s goodness and claim the bright future God has for us. See you Sunday!
Most of the time, I have to figure out what to write for my Midweek Message. This week’s message practically fell into my lap.
Last Tuesday, during our staff chapel, as we were preparing to pray for the joys and concerns submitted by the congregation last Sunday, our Business Administrator Meagan Kempton led our morning devotional with a piece she found online. It turns out that it was written by a clergy colleague of mine, Rev. Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia, of Coronado Community UMC in New Smyrna Beach. Rev. Degrenia gave me permission to share this remarkably profound and timely message with you:
TWO POCKETS: HEALTHY, FAITHFUL PERSPECTIVE
A well respected and beloved Polish Rabbi named Simcha Bunim used to say, “Every person should have two pockets. In one, there should be a note that says:
- ‘For my sake was the world created.’
- In the second, there should be a note that says, ‘I am dust and ashes.’”
Rabbi Bunim went on to say one must know how to use the notes, each one in its proper place and at the right time. He knows us well. When misused, we hunker down in one pocket and make a home. We use a note to justify, judge and deflect self-examination.
“For my sake the world was created – I’m all that and a bag of chips.”
“I am dust and ashes – Eeyore is my best buddy.”
But, when we open to the wisdom of the notes, we accept we are not one or the other. We realize we are both notes. Both pockets. We see the wisdom of the notes in the wisdom of God’s Word which goes back and forth, naming us and reminding us who we are – beloved and dust. We are both and we need both.
“I am dust and ashes”
When we are too proud, too entitled, too full of ourselves, too self-sufficient, we reach in a pocket and remember “anokhi afar va’efer,” I am dust and ashes.
- I am small
- I am worthless
- I am mortal
- I am unclean
- I miss the mark, I stray from the path – that’s what the word sin literally means in Greek
- I am like everyone else who has ever lived and who will live
- I need a savior
Psalm 90:3 NRSV: You turn us back to dust, and say, “Turn back, you mortals.”
Ecclesiastes 3:20b NIV: All come from dust, and to dust all return.
Luke 9:41 NRSV: “O unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you and put up with you?”
In Luke 3, John the Baptist is right to remind us we are a “brood of vipers” and of our need of repentance, to turn back to God’s path, not just with our words but our actions.
“For my sake was the world created”
Then, when we are discouraged, overwhelmed and losing faith (when we feel like dirt) we reach in the other pocket and remember bishvili nivra ha’olam, for my sake was the world created.
I am a unique and beloved child of the King of kings
- Christ loved me enough to die for me and raise me to new life
- I am fearfully and wonderfully made
- I am called
- I am gifted
- I am empowered by the Holy Spirit to do great things for God
- God is using me in the salvation and transformation of the world
Psalm 8:4-8 NRSV: What are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them? Yet you have made them a little lower than God, and crowned them with glory and honor. You have given them dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under their feet, all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas.
Psalm 139:14 NRSV: I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that I know very well.
We stand with Jesus in our baptism, water washed, anointed with the fiery dove of the Holy Spirit, named and claimed by God as beloved children.
Jesus stepped into the water not out of his need but of ours. To remind us of our great need – I am dust and ashes. To remind us who we are in Him- For my sake the world was created.
PRAYER FOR PERSPECTIVE
And then, Rev. Degrenia offers this powerful prayer, which I invite you to pray with me:
Eternal and Beautiful God,
The One who births us and names us
Grant us perspective
A holy centering
of truth, humility and our belovedness
Not too high that we fall away from you
our need of you
our need of others
Not too low that we fail to trust
to reach out for you
to reach out with you
In you, with you, for you we are
humble and powerful
unique and alike
common and regal
priceless and dust
Grant us perspective, Merciful One
A holy centering
Let no voice be too loud
Or too soft
So we may persevere in faith
in hope
in following
in becoming
Amen
Grace and Peace,
Magrey
THIS SUNDAY: MISSIONS CELEBRATION
Join us Sunday for our annual Mission Celebration. Our guest preacher is Derrick Scott. He is the Executive Director and United Methodist Campus Minister for the Campus to City Wesley Foundation in Jacksonville and St. Augustine, Fl. He has been leading ministry to college students and young adults for more than 18 years. He is passionate about raising up a new generation of leaders and laborers who will live as disciples of Jesus Christ to transform the world. Our Celebration also showcases the many ministries in our city, state and around the world that Hyde Park supports financially and through our volunteers.
Dear Hyde Park Family,
It’s harvest season in the fields and farms across the country, and a time of year I gained an appreciation for during my eight years serving in Iowa. Farmers are in their combines, reaping the benefits of their risk: planting last spring, waiting over the summer, watching as nature ran its unpredictable course.
Don and Jeanne Blackstone were members of my church in Cherokee, Iowa, and they invited me one day to ride the combine on their farm. Don told me it had been a good growing season that year, with the corn stalks surpassing that fabled standard of “Knee-high by the Fourth of July.”
He then corrected my misunderstanding of what constituted a “good harvest.” I had always thought that the taller a corn stalk gets, the more ears of corn grow on them. Not so, it turns out.
No matter how tall a corn stalk gets, it will never have more than two ears of corn. The difference between a good and bad yield is not found in the number of ears per stalk, but in the number of kernels per ear. It’s not about the quantity of the ears per stalk. It’s about the quality of the ears themselves.
As a city kid, my mind was blown.
GROWING DEEPER
This discovery on the Blackstone’s farm has since served as a helpful reminder to me of what constitutes a healthy spiritual life. We might have the false assumption that spiritual maturity is defined only as doing more and more things for God: more works of piety and more holy deeds, like notches in our belt or check marks on a to-do list.
But it’s less about the quantity of our actions and more about the quality and depth of our actions. It’s less about growing more impressive in the eyes of others, and more about growing deeper in our heart, soul, mind, and strength.
35-DAYS OF LOVING GOD WITH ALL WE’VE GOT
As our worship series “All In” draws to a close, our 35 days of daily activities are coming to an end. I would love to hear from you how these cards have been helpful to you.
Moving forward, here’s how these cards can help. You might repeat the 35-day journey during seasons of your spiritual life when you need to recharge. You can even shuffle the cards and go in a different order, to discover new patterns in your journey.
But in the spirit of “growing deeper,” you might choose to identify the handful of cards that were particularly meaningful for you over the last five weeks. Those activities that spoke to you and resonated with you may be an indication from the Spirit. You might choose to incorporate the activities on those cards on a more regular basis – daily or weekly – and make them a regular part of your spiritual disciplines.
Doing so would lead you to creating a unique “rule of life” that you can use to frame your spiritual practices. Like planks on a trellis, those select activities, practiced regularly, could become the structure upon which your harried and chaotic life can begin to bloom and produce the beauty of God’s love.
God may be calling you into a season of bountiful harvest in your life. A season of abundance, fruitfulness, and beauty. If so, it is less about growing more impressive in the eyes of others, and more faithful in the practices that will help you blossom.
See you Sunday as we conclude our series, and happy harvesting!
Grace and Peace,
Magrey