Practice Resurrection: Act as signposts of hope

see all Practice Resurrection 2016 posts here

Mural created by Syrian refugees and local Jordanian youth to promote harmony, Jordan
source

Signposts of hope

With Easter, God's new creation is launched upon a surprised world, pointing ahead to the renewal, the redemption, the rebirth of the entire creation.... every act of love, every deed done in Christ and by the Spirit, every work of true creativity -- doing justice, making peace, healing families, resisting temptation, seeking and winning true freedom -- is an earthly event in a long history of things that implement Jesus's own resurrection and anticipate the final new creation and act as signposts of hope.

N.T. Wright
Surprised by Hope

via Topology magazine

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Today's Readings:  

Acts 9:36-43  • 

 

Psalm 23  • 

 

Revelation 7:9-17  • 

 

John 10:22-30

Practice Resurrection: Take heart!

Za'atari Syrican Refugee Camp, swimming hole
source

We take heart

And yet, and yet, the times are inexhaustibly good, solaced by the courage and hope of many. The truth rules, Christ is not forsaken. In a time of death, some men and women--the resisters, those who work hardily for social change, those who preach and embrace the unpalatable truth--such men and women overcome death, their lives are bathed in the light of the resurrection, the truth has set them free. In the jaws of death, of contumely, of good and ill report, they proclaim their love of the people. We think of such men and women in the world, in our nation, in the churches, and the stone in our breast is dissolved. We take heart once more.

Daniel Berrigan

"Our Apologies, Good Friends" in Essential Writings 

via Topology magazine

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What people do you think of when you read Berrigan's description of men and women "bathed in light of resurrection"? What stories from their lives cause you to take heart?

Lent daybook, 23: a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens

My Lent daybook for these 40 days of prayer. Join me, won't you? (see previous Lent daybook 2016 posts here)

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look

Abandoned farm house turned life size doll house on the Canadian prairies

Heather Benning

source

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read

2 Corinthians 4:16-5:5 

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. 

For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.

all readings for the day: Psalm 32; Joshua 4:1-13; 2 Corinthians 4:16-5:5

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pray

• Almighty God, you know that we have no power in ourselves to help ourselves: Keep us both outwardly in our bodies and inwardly in our souls, that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (source)

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listen

Psalm 46 (Be Still) by Bifrost Arts

( I invite you to listen with me to my ever-evolving Lent playlist & Lent Spirituals playlist )

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do

Take a nap today. Thank God for the restorative power of sleep. Be still and know that he is God. Rest in that knowledge.

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(see all Lent daybook posts from 2015 here)

12/10 Advent daybook, 12: Woe to the complacent

My Advent daybook for these 24 days of waiting. Join me, won't you? (see previous Advent daybook 2015 posts here)

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look

Art Adds 2011 – a city wide, one month, public art campaign –
 featured work by CHUCK CLOSE and KEHINDE WILEY.
source

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read

Amos 6:1-8 (MSG): Woe to those who live only for today, indifferent to the fate of others! [...]Woe to those addicted to feeling good - life without pain! those obsessed with looking good - life without wrinkles! They could not care less about their country going to ruin. 

all readings for the day:  Isaiah 12:2-6; Amos 6:1-8; 2 Corinthians 8:1-15

Add Austin Channing's blog to your weekly reading: Writing Toward Reconciliation

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pray

Merciful God, who sent your messengers the prophets to preach repentance and prepare the way for our salvation: Give us grace to heed their warnings and forsake our sins, that we may greet with joy the coming of Jesus Christ our Redeemer; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.  Amen. (source)

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listen

Immanuel

The Liturgists (feat. Jason Morant)

(Also, feel free to listen with me to my ever-evolving Advent playlist or a growing Advent Orchestral/Choral playlist on Spotify.)

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do

take a walk in the lit night

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(see all Advent daybook posts from 2014 here)

Autumn Daybook for Leaf Peeping [look. listen. make. do.]

source

Hello, October!  Let's celebrate with a few ordinary acts of paying attention to the ways earth's crammed with heaven in this season.  Here's some suggestions to get you started this week, no matter where you live.

  

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Look

Andy Goldsworthy
source

Also: Top 6 Incredible Artworks Made From Autumn Leaves

October Calendar Free Desktop and iPhone Wallpaper (via Giants & Pilgrims)

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Read

Autumn

By Rainer Maria Rilke

The leaves fall, fall as from far,

Like distant gardens withered in the heavens;

They fall with slow and lingering descent.

And in the nights the heavy Earth, too, falls

From out the stars into the Solitude.

Thus all doth fall. This hand of mine must fall

And lo! the other one: -- it is the law.

But there is One who holds this falling

Infinitely softly in His hands.

source

Also: A list of children's picture books about autumn, harvest and falling leaves

Let's make autumn reading a thing (at Modern Mrs. Darcy)

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Listen

Eric Clapton - Autumn Leaves 

Also: Listen to my always-evolving Autumn playlist on Spotify

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Make

source

7 Ways to Turn Your Fall Leaf Collection Into Art

Also: How to Make Waxed Leaves

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Watch

Also: Andy Goldsworthy - Autumn Works at Storm King Park, USA

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Do

Mapping Fall's Advance by Strange Maps at Big Think

Also: 50 Small Towns Across America With the Most Beautiful Fall Foliage

Catching the colours of autumn around the world

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Share your favorite fall things with me in the comments below, on Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest.

{pretty, happy, funny, real}

| a weekly capturing the contentment in everyday life |

| pretty |

Texas skies

I've been going on and on about the beauty of summertime in the Northeast. And it's true.  Summertime is not particularly pretty in Texas. About mid-July the sun sort of picks up an offense against us and glares it's high beams day and night. If you happen to have Texan facebook friends, scroll through a few of their recent photos and you'll see exactly what I mean.  We meet friends for dinner at some hip place and, naturally, want to record the moment.  We rummage around for about 15 minutes trying to figure out how to angle the camera so that the sun isn't obliterating the image of our faces.  In the end, we just smile and make the best of it, squinting into the camera like we're studying the surface of the sun.  Which, in fact, we are.  

To be fair, June was quite lovely.  For that I'm thankful.  This moment of the gorgeous puffy white clouds is a great example.  I risked my life to take the photo, driving up the expressway but it was just one of those moments I wanted to notice my new homeland and be grateful.

| happy |

carpooling to work on a summer morning

It's the first morning after returning from vacation and our vehicle just quit working (thankfully that happened AFTER we finished our 3,500 mile drive).  And we had to go to work and share one vehicle.  Don't we look happy?  

Truth is, I'm trying to enjoy these moments of having Alex and Kendra home for the summer.  It'll be Alex's last summer home before he gets married to the beautiful Rebekah.  So, actually, in spite of the goofy faces, we are all actually quite happy.  (Ignore the giant box labelled Fragile for now.  Maybe I'll show you the contents in an upcoming post.)

| fun(ny) |

my first karaoke experience

Somehow I've managed to make it 44 years in this world without ever entering a karaoke room.  Mind you, we've held our own private parties with some sort of electronic contraption when the kids were little.  And there was one fantastic story of Brian bringing down the house dedicating a song to me on a Caribbean cruise ship.  

Saturday night I was invited to join this fabulous group of women celebrating the dear Eva's upcoming marriage.  I spent half the time sitting in a corner laughing (and wondering what the heck they were singing since I missed about a decade of popular music when all we did was watch Barney all day long.

I managed to belt out a few tunes, though.  And, man, it was fun.

| real |

Jay Walker Studio street art comes to Austin

I met Jay at a Laity Lodge retreat years ago, but since he lives and works in Philadelphia I've never been able to see any of his work in real life.  A fun surprise, then, when he posted he'd make a quick stop in town to leave his mark on Austin's street art.  Alex and I stopped by on our way home from work and decided to have a bit of interactive fun.  (That is colored tape, not paint!) 

If you live in Austin, you can find this sweet photo opp on the corner of E. 6th and Brushy.

You can see the real reason Jay came to Texas by following @jaywalkerstudio and @laitylodge on Instagram (tag #seeingthroughitall).

Have you captured any contentment this week? 

 I'd love to hear about it!

| Join in at P,H,F,R to see other wonderful people practicing contentment. |