A Little Night Music in April

Photo by Kenrick Mills on Unsplash

The candle is lit, Mozart’s strings and flutes play in the background and I sit down for a moment of rest and reflection. Its been a full month, and it seems I am only able to write once a month here on my blog. We have seasons that are fruitful and seasons where our fields lay fallow. Each season has purpose and our labor is to ask the Lord what shall we do in each of those seasons. What shall we do with the time we are given? Should we harvest, or is it time to plant? Should we till the soil and add the nutrients and minerals that will produce a better harvest next year. Should we let the field rest and restore as is God’s wisdom in caring for the land He has entrusted to us. Writing is a place of rest and creativity for me. So the field of this writing space is where I come to recharge and pour out of that rest, but, at least for this season, it is perhaps more sparse, but still there is work being done in feast or fallow.

Today, I want to share some music that has blessed me this month, and may, in turn, bless you the reader. I had never heard of Tenielle Neda before this month, and I am captivated by her music. Her songs are scripture based and come from a Reformed theology background. She is a wife, mom of two, and driver of iron ore trains in Australia - which I think is incredibly cool.

This is the music I play as I have become the chauffeur of my tweens and teens, to transport them and their friends, to drop off at track & field, music lessons, driving to and from school. I am in that season where I spend a large portion of time in my vehicle. So I must be prepared to use my time wisely, to be nurtured in my soul and mind, to learn and grow, to relax to music, and to pray. Driving time can be used for so many kingdom-minded moments. Tic Tacs, hand sanitizer, a bottle of water, a good pair of sunglasses, and a hat for bad hair days are also along for the journey!

What is My Hope? - Tenielle Neda

“And if we live, we live to the Lord. And if we die, we die to the Lord…”

The Heidelberg Catechism was published in 1563 and can be summarized as “an ageless summary of an everlasting comfort.” Question 1 asks, “What is your only comfort in life and death?” The New City Catechism also asks this first question, “What is our only hope in life and death?” The answer is the basis of this song, and Scripture is the basis of this timeless answer.

Romans 14:7–8

For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.

The Heidelberg Catechism answers it this way:


That I am not my own,

but belong with body and soul,

both in life and in death,

to my faithful Saviour Jesus Christ.

He has fully paid for all my sins

with his precious blood,

and has set me free

from all the power of the devil.

He also preserves me in such a way

that without the will of my heavenly Father

not a hair can fall from my head;

indeed, all things must work together

for my salvation.

Therefore, by his Holy Spirit

he also assures me

of eternal life

and makes me heartily willing and ready

from now on to live for him.

This composition is full of emotion as it takes the listener from a minor key, asking the question of what is my hope? Even this simple question is evidence that we live in a broken and sinful world in need of restoration. The fact that we have to ask what our hope is, shows that we need hope to live in this world. It is a sacred question and one that confronts the darkness all around us, the emptiness of worldly pursuits, and the desperate need to be filled with the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit in our souls. There is a sadness that accompanies this question. It is not stated, but it is there in the backdrop of our need to define what is the most important thing about our existence.

The song moves victoriously into the chorus with a triumphant major key resolution, almost a sense of rest as it guides one into the truths of Scripture, the food for our souls to be nourished by. There is an answer to the longing of our souls and it is found in the Bible, the Word of God. As a youth, I remember this verse standing out to me as I searched the Scriptures to know Yeshua more intimately. “If we live, we live to the Lord” was such a radical truth that imbedded into my soul. God was calling me to live for Him.

The words and music of this song become perfect companions for the meaning of these truths and the rest that all Scripture gives in answer to the questions we ask in this dark world, a world that is being and will be renewed and restored by King Jesus.

I pray that you are blessed by this song as much as I have been, and that it will be eine kleine nachtmusik to reflect on in a moment of quiet.

A Little Night Music in March

Photo from Unsplash

I think I would have been a good step dancer in my early years. I never took tap dancing, but I sure did try it out in my parent’s living room when no one was watching, and maybe when my sisters were watching, you know, to make them laugh at my antics! Whether it’s step dancing, ballet, or fiddle playing, there are some things I dreamed about doing that I never have. But there’s always tomorrow!

Fiddle music became a beloved sound in my teen years while attending a worship service led by a Canadian folk music team featuring the fiddle in very lively Canadian-celtic style worship songs. Oh how I loved it. Folk music became as belovedly intriguing as classical, and my curiosity was piqued.

When our daughter was 3 years old, we took her to see a dear church friend perform for her university performance in violin. She was incredible and took our breath away. One of the times she came to visit, she brought her violin for our daughter to hold. Many years later, our daughter asked to learn the violin. It was during this time that I recalled the name of Natalie MacMaster, a Canadian fiddle virtuoso. As we drove to and from lessons, I would play Natalie’s music in our car to inspire my daughter.

Volcanic Jig became one of our favorites, not only for its Canadian-Celtic flare, but also because we live in a state that has several magnificent volcanoes, and living the majority of my life in the Pacific Northwest, the views of Mount Baker, and now Mount Adams and Mount Rainier became landmarks in my own story of place and home. I grew up looking out the windows of our home in southern British Columbia to the beauty of Mt Baker across the border. So many memories are connected with those mountains, they feel more like friends than monuments in the distance.

Natalie MacMaster is from Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia, Canada and married to Donnell Leahy of the famous Leahy fiddling and step dancing family. Their seven children join them on stage with their own fiddles in their live performances! If you enjoy violin and fiddle, I have no doubt you will become an adoring fan of their music and live performances.

Enjoy this video of a live performance of Volcanic Jig and this one of the MacMaster-Leahy kids joining their musical parents on stage!

Today is St Patrick’s Day, and they are releasing their newest album, Canvas! I look forward to playing this album as I prepare our favorite St Patrick’s Day meal!

In the mid-1990’s, I graduated from high school, worked for a year to save up all my cash so that I could attend a Christian discipleship school for a year called His Hill Bible School in Comfort, Texas. It was amazing! It was my first year flying the nest and the Lord took me on many adventures including being immersed in the Bible 5 hours a day for 5 days a week. I grew so much. We were also paired up with a mentor into small discipleship groups of 2-3 students. One day, I needed to process some struggles I was having and my mentor met with me to chat. She opened her Bible to Psalm 63 and read it aloud. It was the very cry of my heart, the desperate attempt to put into words what I longed to express to the Lord, and my yearning to know Him more deeply. This passage became a treasure:

O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly;
My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You,
In a dry and weary land where there is no water.
Thus I have seen You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory.
Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips will praise You.
So I will bless You as long as I live;
I will lift up my hands in Your name. 
My soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness,
And my mouth offers praises with joyful lips.
When I remember You on my bed,
I meditate on You in the night watches,
For You have been my help,
And in the shadow of Your wings I sing for joy.
My soul clings to You;
Your right hand upholds me.

Psalm 63:1-8 NASB

God’s love is better than life and my soul knows this very well. It is also the theme of one of Caroline Cobb’s new songs on an upcoming album called Psalms: The Poetry of Prayer. Better Than Life (Psalm 63) has been on repeat in my truck these days, God’s Word set to music, filling my soul with worship to the King. I hope it blesses you too as winter passes the baton to spring, as baby chicks grow their feathers and adjust to their coop, and petals unfurl to add color, brightness, and warmth to our days.

Photo from Unsplash

A Little Night Music in February

Music helps us to "keep time" in the sense of keeping us in touch with time, not just time as an ever-flowing stream that bears all of us away at last, but time also as a stream that every once in a while slows down and becomes transparent enough for us to see down to the stream bed the way, at a wedding, say, or watching the sun rise, past, present, and future are so caught up in a single moment that we catch a glimpse of the mystery that, at its deepest place, time is timeless. - Frederick Buechner, Wishful Thinking

At sunrise, past, present and future were all bound up in one moment as I saw strawberry plants proliferating through the winter weeds from last year’s garden.

I have never read anything by Buechner, but when I came across an article last year about his death, I realized I had heard his name before, in what season of life, I cannot remember, but his words dove deep into my heart that I knew I must read his writing at some point in the future. This month, through an online bookclub, I am making the effort to read one of his works. When I searched the internet for quotes on music, this one above met me in a personal way. Music does help us keep time with the fleeting moments of our lives. In fact, for me, it is a way to look back through my life at different stages and seasons. I often think in terms of the soundtrack of my life. Because music is such an important part of my life and being, when I hear a certain song, it brings me back to times and places and allows me to see “down to the stream bed” of that particular moment in time and what God was doing in my life back then. The following are my February selections to share some songs that might join you on your journey, and if nothing else, it may be a eine kleine nachtmusik to enjoy at the close of the day with a cup of Sleepytime tea.

Wait for the Lord - Taizé Community, music by J.Berthier

“Wait for the Lord, whose day is near.

Wait for the Lord, keep watch, take heart.”

Gathered together, and yet feeling each alone in a way, we knelt before the Lord with men and women from various nations, on the carpeted cement floor before candlelight and tapestry. Christians from various denominations and backgrounds were gathered to worship Jesus as a global Body. Awkwardly, we flipped through our songbooks full of worship songs in English, French, Latin, German, Zulu, Japanese, Tamil, and so on. We stumbled our way through singing songs in other languages and took in this experience of the Bride of Christ, believers in Jesus from different languages, tribes, and nations, gathered together in worship.

This was the first time I heard and sang this beautiful song of waiting and anticipation. The Taizé Community is an ecumenical monastic community nestled in the lush landscape of Taize, France, just a short bus ride from the small town of Cluny in eastern France. My husband and I traveled there sixteen years ago as part of a Christian worship & arts study trip. The kind people who lived and worked there, led our small group in worship, in work, and in discussion for our week long stay. I remember going for walks on the snow-covered bridge, the sun setting early, and enjoying simple, yet nourishing, meals from red plastic bowls. There was a stillness and calm reverence just being there. There was laughter in the midst of awkward cultural differences and language barriers. We all knew that to be there was a gift, and one where the Lord was doing a work in each of our hearts and minds. I long to go back there one day. It is a dream of mine.

We sing this song at our church plant. It is a song of perpetual advent, one that can be sung in the season of Advent, but also one that can be sung all year as we wait for the Lord’s Second Coming as He promised.

A winter walk at Taize, January 2007

Love Song for a Savior - Jars of Clay

“Someday He'll call her

And she will come running

She’ll fall in His arms

The tears will fall down

And she'll pray

I want to fall in love with you”

In 1994, a new Christian band came on the scene, Jars of Clay. Their album was named, Frail, and that year I was sixteen years old, and I was very frail. It was the year my life was upended by a chemical imbalance and anxiety disorder that turned me inside out and left me in a Job-like wilderness of confusion, brokenness, and despair.

It was also the year that the Holy Spirit was raising up song writers and music that would deeply touch me, ignite my emotions, and stir millions around the world in a revolution of heartfelt worship to Jesus. 1994 was a year of incredible worship music. This song was on repeat in my little car as I pushed the cassette tape into our ancient Toyota Corolla with no air conditioning, windows down, hair flying in the wind. I was sixteen, I was anxious, and I needed my Savior.

I don’t know the songwriters’ intentions behind this song or the story of how it came to be, or the industry standards each song and album needs to meet to make money. All I know is how this song impacted me. The Lord used this song as He stitched my frail mind back together. I knew His gentle eyes looked on me with blood-bought love and salvation. The strong sense of His sovereignty and love for me personally was something I needed very much, and something I wept for. The lyrics opened up the reality of multitude Scriptures and teaching I had received for years, and Jesus won my love and devotion, forever.

All throughout Scripture, God’s love for His people and each individual child of His is on full display, blood & covenant display, repeated over and over in the sacrificial system of the Old Testament temple to the actual incarnating work of Jesus the Messiah, whose love was expressed everywhere throughout Scripture from clothing the fallen human race, to His individual care for men and women in Old Testament antiquity, to the poetry of the Psalms, the messages of the Prophets, the redeeming love of a Savior, the God-Man who came to rescue souls from eternal judgement. His love for you is displayed, and He invites you into this Psalm-like desperate love and acceptance, this intimate relationship of Him with you every second of every day, the One who will never leave or forsake you. He is the One who is there with you now. The love He portrays through the picture of marriage between a husband and a wife, is just a glimpse of the unimaginable love of the Creator for His people.

Yes, Jesus did call me.

Yes, I did come running to my Rescuer.

Yes, the tears did fall down, over and over with love.

And yes, I did pray, “I want to fall in love with You”.

And I still look up into the sky and tell Jesus, “I love you. I love being loved by you.” I cry out from the depth of my being to love the One who first loved me.

Wildflowers by Tom Petty

Since it is February, and St. Valentine’s day is today, I want to share a little love song. In our newlywed years, my husband introduced me to a whole vast repertoire of music that was new to me. Tom Petty’s Wildflowers was one of those songs that we put on repeat in our little blue 2 door hatchback as we traversed the countryside on our adventures as husband and wife. I dedicate this one to my man:

“You belong among the wildflowers

You belong in a boat out at sea

You belong with your love on your arm

You belong somewhere you feel free…” - Tom Petty

Walking in Paris with my love, 2007.

Thank you for reading, beloved ones of the Father. May you walk through fields of wildflowers, sail on gentle waves, and find a song whispering to you of light, and life, and the love of the Savior.

Praying Psalm 57 For Your City

Summer Sunflowers beside our church plant in Yakima, Washington

In the work of church planting is an ever-present awareness of one’s dependence upon God’s character and His desire to establish a new local outpost of His kingdom in a specific city. We are always in need of a conscious awareness of our utter dependence on God, to be sure, but there are specific seasons of life where the weakness of our human limitations and frailty is set on display, and one is absolutely aware of just how dependent we are on the sovereign plan and actions of God. We are made keenly aware!

I’ve been made aware of this fact once again while reading God’s Smuggler (by Brother Andrew with John & Elizabeth Sherrill) aloud to my teens and tweens. I read missionary books and Christian biographies to my children for many reasons: first, I love this genre! Second, I want them to learn the stories of Christians who were totally sold out to the Lord, completely committed to living for Him, abandoning everything else this world has to offer to lay their lives down for the sake of Jesus and how He calls them to live. My prayer and desire for them is to catch on to what the Holy Spirit is doing in their time and to be a light in this world for the gospel of Jesus. So I read these stories to them to show them that there have been many people, at all times and places in this world, who have lived purposefully to make Him known in their spheres of life and work. They have witnessed God’s mighty acts, provision, and intervention in their lives as they laid down everything to follow Him, wherever He would lead. Their stories always include prayer and an honest dependence on God.

The most important work of church planting is prayer: prayer for the church, prayer for the city, and prayer for evangelism efforts. So we pray. Sometimes we don’t know how to pray or what to pray specifically. There are many types of prayers: passionate heartfelt prayers, quiet and calm prayers of silence and waiting, prayers filled with knowledge of God and His work in this world that remind the person praying of God’s faithfulness and power and sovereignty. There are pre-written prayers that help us to pray things we wouldn’t think of on our own. There are ancient prayers and written prayers spoken by Christians all over the world.

As you think about prayer, consider praying Scripture. You may want to write down your prayers, specific prayers for individuals, a specific prayer for your community. Recently, I came across Psalm 57 in my regular Bible reading plan. As I read through it, I realized this is a wonderful psalm to pray for our family, for others, for our church, and for our city. Praying God’s Word back to him is like a well-choreographed dance with the Father as the very words He inspired to be written (God-breathed words) are the words we then use to pray the exact will of God and ask for His help, the help He desires to give us. Here is one example of how to pray Psalm 57 (ESV) for your city:

A Prayer Based on Psalm 57

Be merciful to the city of Yakima, O Lord.

Cause Yakima to take refuge in You 

Let Yakima take refuge in the shadow of your wings

till the storms of destruction pass by.

We cry out to you, God Most High,

You fulfill Your purpose for Yakima

You will send from heaven and save us.

God will send out his steadfast love and his faithfulness to Yakima.

We live in the midst of lions, among much brokenness in this city,

Among the children of man, whose teeth are spears and arrows, 

Whose tongues are sharp swords.

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!

Let your glory be over all the earth!

The evil things that are done in this city are too wicked to name.

The news headlines bring shock and despair.

My heart is steadfast, O God,

My heart is steadfast!

I will sing songs of praise to You as I drive through the city.

I will open the windows and declare Your praise in Yakima!

I will fill the streets of Yakima with your praises on my lips.

For your steadfast love is great to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds.

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!

Let your glory be over Yakima and all the earth!

In the Name of King Jesus,

Amen.

Let us be ever watchful and aware to see how God will answer our prayers in this amazing adventure of faith!

Light in the Shadowlands

“Surrender-stillness-a ready welcoming of all stripping, all loss, all that brings us low, low into the Lord's path of humility--a cherishing of every whisper of the Spirit's voice, every touch of the prompting that comes to quicken the hidden life within: that is the way God's human seed-vessels ripen, and Christ becomes ‘magnified’ even through the things that seem against us.”

― Lilias Trotter

This quote, by missionary and artist, Lilias Trotter, takes me to a place of silence and awareness. It is an invitation to trust the Lord in the darkness and to wait for His light.

Our beloved church family, celebrating the feast day of Epiphany.

For the past several years, we have celebrated Epiphany with our church. We all bring delicious food, appetizers, and desserts to share. We dress up with layers, boots, and mittens and head out to a friend’s house where we haul our Christmas trees, crisp and dead from weeks of delighting our homes with the scent of evergreen and littering our floors with plentiful pine needles! This year, there were even fireworks before the bonfire. We gather around the small, brooding fire as my husband shares a liturgy to commemorate the arrival of the Magi, princes and Kings from distant lands, to visit the royal infant King who came to save all the nations. The Light of the World has come to all nations! One by one, the Christmas trees are stacked one on top of another, and the light from the fire grows and grows, as embers fill the sky in a magical swirl of beauty. The night grows, the shadows blanket the snow, but the light is growing steadily, and it fills us with joy.

We live in a world of darkness and brokenness. But we have not been left alone to wander aimlessly through this journey of life. Believers in Jesus have been given, quite literally, a Lamp to light our path. That light is Jesus Himself. That light is the Word.

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” - John 8:12

His light opens eyes to see who He really is. His light shows people how to live life in His Kingdom. And just like the light from our Epiphany fire grows and scatters darkness away, He sends out His light, the light we so desperately need.

The kind people at the PCA EnCourage blog invited me to share some thoughts. Join me there as I share more deeply about my own struggle against the darkness, and how the light of Jesus keeps illuminating my path. May you experience the healing and strengthening graces of His light shining upon you today.

Light in the Shadowlands

A Little Night Music in January

Violin, Augustine Haugland, c. 1937

I walked into my piano teacher’s front room to wait my turn for lessons. My teacher amazed me. I can still see her youthful smiling face, and see her introducing to me a new piece I was going to learn. She sat down at the piano, and put her whole soul and body into playing the masterpiece. All the while, a joy so passionate radiated from her face with an indestructible smile and eyes closed. I was in awe of this woman who displayed great strength and fervor for her creative work in this world. Learning classical piano from my teacher was not only an education in music, but it also opened my mind to other places and languages and art. There was a large poster on the wall in her front room with the title Eine kleine Nachtmusik, a little night music. I was studying both French and German languages that year and it brought me a little whisper of joy to be able to read this song title in German. The piece was by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Listening to it now as I write brings forth a little giggle. It is so playful and youthful, like an uncontrollable smile just almost breaking into laughter.

This year, one of my writing goals is to share a post each month about music. I will share about songs that are currently on my playlists, streaming through both my truck stereo and kitchen streaming device while I work to prepare oh so much food for my growing teens and tweens. The kitchen is the heartbeat of the home, my father-in-law likes to say, and I agree, especially when there is music!

This month, I will share a few selections of music that have been in my soundtrack of recent months. And, kind readers, if you find a selection that companions your pathway this year, I would be delighted. The following are my January selections to share with you. May you be blessed with a little night music.

The Lark Ascending - (arr. for violin and choir by Paul Drayton) Performed by VOCES8 and Jack Liebeck

The first time I heard a portion of this song was actually in the “early o’s” as my hubby likes to call the 2000’s! It was the intro to a song on a live David Crowder album. I was stunned when listening to the soaring violin solo and was taken captive by its originality and the rise and fall of beauty in sound. This last Fall, I learned of a choral group from England called VOCES8. As I explored their music, I found this song performed by them, and was immediately gratified by the beauty in every note as it tells the story of a bird in flight.

O God Beyond All Praising - Performed by Sarah Kroger, Words by Michael A. Perry (1982), Tune composed by Gustav Holst (1918)

At the end of 2021, I remember looking at an auto-generated list sent to my email about which songs I listened to the most that year on my music streaming app, and this one was top of the list. I don’t even remember how I came across this recording and version of this song, but it’s here to stay. Sarah Kroger’s voice is clear and bold, giving praise to the Triune God through this more modern hymn written actually when I was a young child. And of course, the triumphant orchestral suite by Gustav Holst, The Planets, provides the landscape for this song of praise. In fact, I would like to study more about Gustav’s composition, written between 1914-1917, and based on each of the seven known planets (not including Earth or Pluto… where are we at with Pluto these days?) at that time in history. The combination of words and music both give glory to God, the Creator, beyond all praising.

In the Bleak Midwinter - Performed by John Van Deusen, Words by Christina Rossetti, Tune by Gustav Holst

Honestly, I didn’t know much about this song until researching for this post. I did not know that this song was originally a poem by English poet, Christina Rossetti, nor that Gustav Holst who composed The Planets, as mentioned above, also composed the tune used in this famous Christmas carol. In fact, the first time I heard this song was on Canadian singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan’s Wintersong album released in 2006. When searching this past Christmas for new music to listen to, I came across this album by John VanDeusen. Before listening to the music, I was already hooked by the album artwork of a vintage rural scene in winter. The simple and quiet acoustic style was warmly received by the whole family.

Winter, by Joseph Rubens Powell

I look forward to curating a list of songs to share here in February. Be blessed and may you find wonder in ordinary tasks and the beauty of created order all around you.

“I often think in music. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music.”
-Albert Einstein

The Liturgy of a New Year: a Poem, a Pot of Tea, a Song, & a Prayer

Our feet crunched the snow with every step through the little Bavarian village tucked into the Cascade Mountains of Washington. Surrounded by festive lights and happy tourists sledding, we walked through the fairytale town of yesteryear. A little adventure in the mountains, a time of respite as a family, a time just for us to celebrate the covenant of our marriage, our 16th wedding anniversary. We ate pretzels and remembered our early years. We browsed through the book shop, perused a charming pottery and art store, tried on hats, and enjoyed the culinary offerings of this alpine village almost buried in snow.

The space between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day is always a joy for me. The beauty of the Christmas season, the lights and the snow, the comfort of blankets and slippers, the contentment of loved ones enjoying their gifts, intentional moments of tradition to curate and add to family memories, the celebration of our wedding anniversary, the peace of knowing my Redeemer is alive and what He came to accomplish, and the joy of knowing He will return to bring the fullness of His Kingdom and reign over the whole earth… all these things bring a calm to my soul and quiet peace as I sense the closing of the year and the beginning of a new one. A new year dawns, and I am drawn to a favorite poem, a favorite reflection, a favorite song, and a new year’s prayer. It is my delight to share these things here.

A Poem - At the Gate of the Year, by Minnie Louise Haskins

And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year:
Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.
And he replied:
Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the Hand of God.
That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.

So I went forth, and finding the Hand of God, trod gladly into the night.
And He led me towards the hills and the breaking of day in the lone East.

So heart be still:
What need our little life
,
Our human life to know,
If God hath comprehension?
In all the dizzy strife
Of things both high and low,
God hideth His intention.

God knows. His will
Is best. The stretch of years
Which wind ahead, so dim
To our imperfect vision,
Are clear to God. Our fears
Are premature; In Him,
All time hath full provision.

Then rest: until
God moves to lift the veil
From our impatient eyes,
When, as the sweeter features
Of Life's stern face we hail,
Fair beyond all surmise
God's thought around His creatures
Our mind shall fill.

The first time I came to know this poem was in the early 2000’s while living abroad in Scotland. A dear friend and missionary gave me a portion of this poem, and it embedded itself into my soul as a message of hope and light.

A Reflection - Tea & Liturgy by Sandra McCracken

“As the water boils and the afternoon sun calls out the evening shadows, a new space opens up for us to listen to each other, and to meditate on less urgent but more significant matters. As we wait for the tea to steep, the unspoken, dried out thoughts within us are now able to expand like the leaves in the warm water. And when the fragrant tea pours into our cup, the nourishment begins to set in. In Bird By Bird, Anne Lamott speaks about the business of writing. She persuades us that the best part of being a writer is not the thrill of success or book sales — it is the joy of writing for its own sake. She draws a parallel with tea: ‘While you thought you needed the tea ceremony for the caffeine, what you really needed was the tea ceremony.’ ” - Sandra McCracken

This article deeply impressed me over a decade ago when I first read it, and I often come back to it, even for brief moment of recollection when I steep the tea, when I compose hand-written cards, and when I take time to slow down and allow my mind to embrace the present moment. I will probably forever come back to these beautifully written words all my life:

“I want to write love letters with a paper and pen. I want to make house calls. I want to waste time on things that matter. On things that leave a mark in this world and the next. I want to carve out time to stop and boil the water. To bring out the china and the silver. To ask good questions of myself and my neighbors. And to listen patiently for the subtle answers. I want to live a life of love and liturgy.”
-Sandra McCracken



A Song - The Space Between by Sandra McCracken

“Free fall, feet off the ground
A clean, white page, fresh snow, no sound
Here as we wait, from dark to dawn
New paths before us, the old is gone
Unplug the lights, take down the tree
The less we have, the less we need
From Christmas night to New Year's Eve
We bless the space that’s in between
We bless the space that’s in between”

A Prayer - New Year, The Valley of Vision

Give me a grace that precedes, follows, guides,
sustains, sanctifies, aids every hour,
that I may not be one moment apart from thee,
but may rely on thy Spirit to supply every thought,
speak in every word, direct every step,
prosper every work, build up every mote of faith,
and give me a desire to show forth thy praise;
testify thy love, advance thy kingdom.
I launch my bark on the unknown waters of this year, with
thee, O Father, as my harbor,
thee, O Son, at my helm,
thee, O Holy Spirit, filling my sails.

A lantern post in the mountains… Narnia? Hmmm…