Birthday Candles and Tisha B’Av
This year my birthday happens to fall on Tisha B’Av. While I celebrate life, another people mourn over what the world lost.
Following the Fire of Shavu’ot, Part 2
One of the things I have learned from hiking mountains is that they can play tricks on you. The first time you encounter a false summit, it feels almost unfair. You spend hours climbing toward what appears to be the peak.
Following the Fire of Shavu’ot, Part 1
There is a trail in Utah called Catherine’s Pass that my husband and I love to hike. It begins near the Alta Ski Area. At about 8,500 ft in elevation, the trailhead begins already high in the mountains.
The Gospel of Shabbat
Light flickers from the candles. Smiling faces come together, hands of the oldest generation rest gently upon the heads of the children.
Glory in Zion
On the night the Messiah was born, the heavens burst open—heavy with the weight of glory. This was no soft shimmer of stars, but the crushing nearness of heaven itself invading the earth.
Anna’s Witness | The Redemption of Jerusalem
The priesthood must have grown familiar with her presence. An old widow, maybe wrapped in shawls, her eyes bright with unspent fire.
Simeon’s Blessing | The Consolation of Israel
I had a beautiful Advent reflection on Simeon’s blessing ready to share today. Then I woke up and saw the headlines. Blood crying out from the sand on Bondi Beach. I could not post my original devotion on the consolation of Israel while Israel lay slain among the nations.
Mary’s Song | The Promise Made Flesh
The hills of Judea rejoiced when Mary began to sing. Were her feet swollen, still dusty and dry from the long walk south as new life swelled within her? She was young—too young, perhaps, for the weight she now carried.