by David Anderson
Luke 2: 8-14 “And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory ofthe Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear.” In our unenchanted world, it can be hard to take angels seriously. But if we dismiss the angels, there is no way for God to reach us. The word […]
by David Anderson 5 Comments Filed Under: Advent, Awareness, Awe, Discernment, Epiphany, LIght, Mystery, Surrender, Transformation
Revelation 22:16 “I am the root and offspring of David, the bright morning star.” I’m an early riser, and in late fall that means I’m up just before the sun. Near September’s end I began to notice a star low on the eastern horizon. Or was it a star? Its light was lambent and clear, […]
by David Anderson 2 Comments Filed Under: Advent, Awareness, Awe, Guidance, LIght, Mystery, Nature/Creation
Luke 1:57-80 “The morning sun from heaven will rise upon us, to shine on those who dwell in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace.” When John the Baptist is born, his father Zechariah bursts into a song of praise. John will merely pave the […]
by David Anderson 3 Comments Filed Under: Advent, Awareness, Discernment, LIght, Seeing
Isaiah 61:3-11 “to give them a garland instead of ashes” The wreaths in our homes at Advent and Christmas are often only decorative—pretty. But there’s an ancient Nordic and Celtic tradition of making wreaths from wagon wheels. When the sun disappeared in winter, these sun-worshipping people had a beautiful way of wooing it, beckoning back […]
by David Anderson 9 Comments Filed Under: Advent, Awareness, Change, LIght, Nature/Creation
Once a few Decembers ago we were planning a holiday party and I decided it would perfect to light the weeping cherry tree in the front yard. The week of the party I left the office at one o’clock. I needed to deck these boughs while the light held, and I figured I needed at […]
by David Anderson 10 Comments Filed Under: Awareness, Awe, Beauty, Discernment, Faith/Trust, Hope, Letting Go, LIght, Seeing
I was already aware of him when he walked in. He was the man whose car pulled up to the door just ahead of us, and I had hopped out quickly to get ahead of him. Who knows how deep the line is inside that door. I am on vacation in a strange town. I’ve […]
by David Anderson 4 Comments Filed Under: Community, Grace, Gratitude, Healing, LIght, Love, Mercy
Today—February 2nd—is a big turning point. It’s a great cross-quarter day, midway between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox. In ancient, agricultural societies it was regarded as the beginning of spring—the time for first turning the soil in preparation for March planting. There were prayers and rituals centered on the fertility of the […]
by David Anderson 5 Comments Filed Under: Awareness, LIght, Nature/Creation, Now/ the Present, Seeing, Waiting
We live by the clock. Running as fast as we can, trying to cram in one more thing. We vie with each other for the distinction of being the “busiest.” In his book First Things First, Stephen Covey suggests a different orientation. We ought to live not by the clock but by the compass, finding […]
by David Anderson 4 Comments Filed Under: Daily Practice, Faith/Trust, Happiness, LIght