welcome walter, welcome spring

You know, some mornings it is really hard to get out of bed at 4:30am. This morning, while putting on my work-out clothes I thought, what could we cut out of the mornings so that we could sleep in, even a half of an hour more? But, we both exercise, get showered and dressed, do devotions together, eat breakfast together and have time to read the paper before heading out to work. I don’t think there is any part of that I want to give up, especially the consistent sharing of scripture in the early morn, something we had for so long been so bad about doing together…so, early to rise will still be a way of life at our house.

We have been using the Guide to Prayer for Ministers and Other Servants for our morning devotions and, if you are familiar with it, you know that there is a scripture for each day of the week and then quotes from various writings. We read the scripture and one “thought” each morning. This morning’s thought was from the Prophetic Imagination by Walter Brueggemann. We both had to read this book for a class in college and I said to C this morning, you know, when I read this book the first time I wasn’t ready for what I was reading. He agreed, and said that was probably why Joe Noonan made us read it, because none of us were ready for it. I need to re-read this book…it is a must.

I think I have reached a fresh perspective about where we are in life and where we are in the life of our church. Our attendance is waning, although we are now a healthy body. We are not number people but, in a town of 500, most of the people are not members of a church so, something can be said for that. We were taking a walk last night through town and I decided that the perspective we need to take, that I need to take, is to embrace the fact that we do not fit in and that we are outsiders. In that, we are almost like missionaries to this strange, little prairie town we live in. We need to work and act with a passion towards bringing the light, hope and love of Jesus to everyone in town, regardless of if or where they go to church.

The signs of spring are among us, the tree in front of our house has budded within a matter of a week. The grass is that almost too green to be a real color green and the dogwoods are all bloomed. This is a spring that I know many of us needed to draw near, to revitalize us and refresh us and I am ever so thankful that it is here!

reading: “the mermaid chair” by sue monk kidd
listening: “muddy hymnal” from the creek drank the cradle by iron and wine
choice website: the newly updated Montana de Luz website