An Elder Pilgrim's Reflections

“Whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones will not lose their reward.” (Mt. 10.42) A Cup of Water You can be a flower by the side of the road. You can be a fountain for whoever passes by. You can be a lighthouse where the coast is uncertain. You can be a handrail, a park bench, an umbrella. You can be the voice that does not jeer, that calms, encourages, or thanks. ___________________ Weather Report The sky’s the limit. Led by favorable winds,  opportunities for grace will abound. Though the world is partly cloudy, expect to radiate warmth and light. With thanks to Steve Garnaas-Holmes Unfolding Light www.unfoldinglight.net

  "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?  Yet not one of them will fall to the ground  apart from your Father.  And even the hairs of your head are all counted.  So do not be afraid;  you are of more value than many sparrows." (from Matthew 10.24-39 ) Consider the tiny Sparrow! Sparrows live in grasslands, forests, and cities. They reproduce quickly, raising up to five groups of chicks each season. Aggressive competitors, they nest early and remain for life in colonies of about forty. A male Sparrow’s black breast patch signals rank, giving higher-status males better feeding, territory, mates, and scarce food access. In Jesus’ day there were abundant sparrows which were caught, sold for a penny each, used for food by the poor, sold as food, or as temple sacrifices. So, buying two for a penny meant one was worthless. Yet in Jesus’ day, these tiny, common, cheap, birds were cared for by God. But as Jesus points out, not one falls to the ground without God’s ...

"Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge;" (from Psalm 91 ) Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, Franklin D. Roosevelt stated his firm belief: “We have nothing to fear but fear itself.” Sometimes fear comes from apparent threats, but also from real, extreme threats to mind, body, or spirit. Walter Bruggermann reminds us, “You gotta have a place where you process your fears, because if you don’t process your fears, they will devour you [and] they will immobilize you.” Psalm 91 helps form a place for processing our fears. Dwelling in the Shelter in the Most High, (Hebrew  El Shaddai ) and leaning on the fortress of God in trust is the beginning place. God’s defenses are described through vivid metaphors: protection from hidden traps, deadly pestilence, and terrors of the night, like a fierce mother bird sheltering her young. God promises that guardian...