Today, I'm offering a simple reading of Psalm 138. It's one of several psalms in Scripture considered to be psalms of thanksgiving and praise. And as we move toward the official Thanksgiving holiday here in the U.S., I thought a psalm like this might be fitting. After the reading, I'll also offer a few questions for reflection. As always, I hope they serve you well!

Listen in.

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When we are presented with new information, when our ideas and understandings and opinions are challenged, when we discover a new perspective from a different lived experience, when God shows up in a place or in a person or in a way that is unexpected or unfamiliar, how are we to respond?

That's the question we're considering in today's episode. Listen in!

remind{h}er 144: Mark 7:24-30 + Matthew 15:21-28

Kami Nadeen from Seed of a Dream

The Critical Journey by Janet Hagberg and Robert Guelich

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Being bothered—feeling unsettled, irritated, aggravated—is part of the human experience. And, if you're like me, it's a part of the human experience we tend to avoid, if at all possible. It's often easier to look away, stuff down, work around. And yet, I'm learning how important our willingness is to lean toward the discomfort, to move through the disturbance, to pay attention to what bothers us. Because that is a space in which God can meet us; truly, even what bothers us can be holy ground.

As we continue to become the people God calls and invites to be, I'm learning what bothers us could be key. Listen in.

remind{h}er 144: Mark 7:24-30 + Matthew 15:21-28

Stubborn Blessing by Jan Richardson

Rev. Loli Reiter

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Today, I'm offering a simple reading of not one but TWO passages from Scripture. They both tell the same story of Jesus and the Syrophoenician woman. However, there are subtle differences and unique details in each. Basically, I couldn't choose between the two, so we're considering both together :)

Listen in.

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We're taught from a young age, that if we say the right thing, at the right time, in the right way, our words will "work."

As silly as it seems, sometimes, I find myself treating prayer in a similar way. Prayers are these words I say, and if I say them at the right time, in the right way, and with the right amount of frequency, well, they just might work. Maybe you can relate?

It's easy to believe our prayers are only words we say, thoughts we think, requests we make in the presence of God; I'm discovering, though, that prayer is much more than that. That perhaps prayer might also include the things we do, the actions we take, the lives we live.

What if prayer doesn't stop when we say, "Amen?" Listen in.

The Only Necessary Thing by Henri Nouwen

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Thank you to my friends Jenni and Renee for being sound sounding-boards as I prepared this episode :)

Today, I'm offering a simple reading of one of Jesus' teachings on prayer, found in the middle of the Sermon on the Mount. As I read, you're invited to listen in and notice what you notice. Once the reading is through, I'll offer a few questions for reflection, as you consider the reminders God might have for you in this passage. I hope it serves you well!

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It's interesting to consider what makes a bad day, bad. What makes a good day, good. To mark the circumstances that contribute to what we would consider a good or bad life. It's also interesting to consider how often I equate the state of my circumstances with the presence and love of God. If things are good, God must be present and active in my life, right? And if things are bad, well, the opposite must be true. Sound familiar?

Today, we're exploring what Jesus might have to say by digging a little bit deeper into the Beatitudes. Listen in!

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst

remind{h}er 140: Remember the Blessed {Matthew 5:1-11}

God's Ferris Wheel by Barbara Brown Taylor from Home By Another Way

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Today, as we slowly begin to settle into new routines after perhaps a slower, more spacious summer, I'm offering a simple reading of the Beatitudes, found at the very beginning of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. As I read it, you're invited to listen and notice what you notice. Once the reading is through, I'll offer a few questions for reflection, as you consider the reminders God might have for you in this passage.

I believe wholeheartedly that while these words were inspired and written a couple thousand years ago, God's Spirit is still inspiring us as its readers today. Feel free to pause, rewind, or revisit as you see fit. As always, I hope it serves you well.

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I've been reminded recently that natural light makes a difference. Sunlight aids growth. It improves mental and physical health. It enhances overall well-being. Good, natural light helps us flourish.

In a similar way, the light and presence of God offers hope, endurance, compassion, peace, joy, and love. It is bold without being flashy. It is soft, though not insignificant. It sees the overlooked and notices the unnoticed. It reminds us all that we matter; we belong; and we are never alone. In the middle of the dim and dreary, God's light makes a difference.

So what might it look like to let that light in? Listen in!

Iona Abbey in Scotland

Jan Richardson

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One thing I'm discovering these days is how necessary it is for me to remember God's goodness. When the turmoil and chaos and bad news swirl, the goodness of God holds me steady and keeps me sane. Not in a way that ignores the needs and hardships around me, but in a way that inspires me to be who I am and do what I can to help make it right.

With that in mind, I'd like to offer a reading today of Psalm 103—a passage that recounts the goodness of God. After I read it through, I'll also offer a few questions for reflection, as you consider the reminder God might have for you today through this passage. Feel free to pause, rewind or even revisit this episode as you see fit. As always, I hope it serves you well.

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