"They are like trees planted by streams of living water, which yield their fruit in its season, and their leaves do not wither. In all that they do, they prosper." Psalm 1:3 Reflection: I don't mind thinking of myself as a tree. I am rather fond of the way the wind sings through their branches, how they move and bend while staying rooted, the cool … [Read more...] about Psalm 1 (Psalms on the Trail)
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Psalms on the Trail
A new year is an opportunity for new things. Beginning on New Year's Day I will post a daily psalm verse along with a photo that is a visual meditation on the text for me. The verse for January 1 will come from Psalm 1, the verse for January 2 from Psalm 2, etc. for 150 days, 150 psalms. The photos will generally come from my hiking on two trails: the Appalachian Trail … [Read more...] about Psalms on the Trail
Generosity
I’ve been thinking a lot about generosity: noticing how hard it can be to find an abundance of it in our culture, wondering why it is so hard to be generous, wishing I were a more generous person, knowing I can have a hard time accepting generosity. I don’t think hikers on the Appalachian Trail are more generous than any other group of people. But somehow generosity was more … [Read more...] about Generosity
The five (make it six) texts
While I was on the trail, I read a book that a friend had given me before I left, "Backpacking with the Saints: Wilderness Hiking as Spiritual Practice " by Belden C. Lane (Oxford University Press, 2015). Wait. I did NOT carry the hardback, weighty item in my backpack. I did, however, keep it in my car. When my hiking partner and I had a zero day in town doing laundry or … [Read more...] about The five (make it six) texts
The power of a tent
I am following a Facebook public group ("The Psalms in 184 Days") that is reading through the Psalms at the average of about one per day. Having gone through the Psalms three times on sabbatical, I thought that participation with this group would help me stay engaged with the psalms now that I am back in ordinary time. The Psalm for today is 61 and this is the verse that … [Read more...] about The power of a tent