Life
Nurture your spirit with these stories and reflections that explore the human experience.
Celebrate abundance
by Elizabeth McBride Imagine throwing a party and inviting only people who wear green hats. You spend weeks focused on attracting green hat-wearing people to the party. When the day of the party comes, a couple of green hat-wearers come through the door, and you’re...
The gift of generations
by Sarah Carson Lately I’ve been thinking about what my future might look like. Will I get married? Have children? Will I always be happy living the single life with my two dogs? I’m blessed to have great people in my life to go to for advice. For instance, a few...
Just notice
by Cara Strickland When I’m overwhelmed by my feelings, my schedule or my circumstances, my therapist often tells me to “just notice.” As I begin to slow down and focus, I see things more clearly. Often, this motivates me to action, but perhaps more often, I am...
Meditating in color
by Ann Hafften Vonda Drees often describes her life and work as a journey. She encourages spiritual growth and enrichment with groups, in person and online in an artistic process she calls “a journey with a community.” As artist-in-residence for the Women of the ELCA...
‘There are two in there’
by Brenda Meier Kimaro Hands down, the most important lesson motherhood has taught me is that I absolutely, without-a-doubt need God’s unwavering grace in my life. I delivered the twins at the age of 41. The doctors referred to this as an “advanced maternal age.”...
Sisters and brothers
by Angela T. Khabeb I remember a conversation with one parishioner who made an appointment to meet with me in my office. She announced, “Pastor, I want to talk to you about the first sermon you ever preached here.” I couldn’t believe my ears. I asked for...
Mountains with many faces
by Liv Larson Andrews for saints Florence, Leonard, Thomas and Pamela Over the phone, Grandma Florence’s voice was weary. “I just don’t know if I can do it anymore,” she said. “Do what?” I asked. “Say the creed.” “Oh.” My 95-year-old grandmother explained how she felt...
A geography of hope
by Elizabeth Hunter Have you ever ended up somewhere with no clear idea of how you got there? Maybe not just on a road, but in your family, congregation, career or community? While rolling through routines, the landscapes of home, office, school, church, forest, city...
Time to reflect
—by Linda Post Bushkofsky There’s something so compelling about the Ash Wednesday liturgy. It begins with the extended confession of sins where we acknowledge our unfaithfulness, pride, hypocrisy, self-indulgence, indifference, and prejudice, to name but a few of the...
Just notice: Walking into Lent with Martha
by Cara Strickland When I’m overwhelmed by feelings, schedules or circumstances, my therapist often tells me to "just notice." As I slow down and focus, I see things more clearly. This can motivate me to action, but perhaps more often, I am content to linger,...
A woman’s place 500 years hence
by Barbara Berry Bailey In celebration of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, Gather is carrying out a series of conversations with 21st century women who offer perspectives on the role of churchwomen. We hope to add some new images to those we instantly think...
A true, blue Christmas
by Kathleen Kastilahn Betty Landis recalls the December some dozen years ago when, as a seminarian, she struggled with four diagnoses of cancer in her family. It’s also when she first attended a Blue Christmas service. “I soaked it in,” Landis said. Now pastor of St....
Walking fools
by Christa von Zychlin-- The elderly gentleman gave me the once over as I raced into the hospital lobby looking for a bathroom. It was decades ago; I was a freshly minted pastor, a pioneer among the mostly male leaders of every Christian denomination. I had driven a...
Thankofferings: A season of gratitude
by Emma Crossen Gratitude is popular in November, though it usually goes by another name--Thanksgiving. Giving thanks often turns into giving other gifts. Charities raise most of their money at this time of year. Volunteers observe the holiday by serving a meal at a...
Love Language 2.6
by Sue Gamelin— I answered the phone and a voice said, “I can’t believe that you fixed meals for us for all those years!” One of our adult kids, whose first child had just reached table-food time, had arrived at a stage of new awareness. It wasn’t the awareness that...
Gratitude changes how we live
by Karris Golden— I've had some rough times the past few years. I have regrouped, started over and then circled back — the long way around — to start over again. During the worst times, fear, doubt and confusion overwhelmed me. It was tough for me to pull away from...
They remembered the Cool Whip
—by Twila Schock It was November 1994. I was a brand-new missionary in Slovakia, and I was homesick. Our trainers in missionary orientation had warned us missionary novices about culture shock. But I had cavalierly dismissed it, judging it to be for the faint of...
Embracing the sacrifices: What God is doing to wake me up
by Elizabeth Hunter--Fear and awe kept me awake that first night home from the hospital. I couldn’t believe they let us leave the maternity ward. We had no idea what we were doing. I was supposed to be resting, letting my husband, Leslie, sit up and watch...