Presby-Musings

“Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves.” — Rainer Maria Rilke “Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be?’” — Luke 1:34 In Luke 1, Mary receives astonishing news. She will have a child. Not just any child. The angel tells her that this child “will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High.” Mary responds with a question: “How can this be?” I've always appreciated that. She doesn't simply nod and pretend everything makes sense. She asks the obvious question. How? And here's what I find significant: The angel doesn't scold her. Mary's question isn't treated as faithlessness. It becomes part of the conversation. Eventually Mary says, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord.” But notice the order. The question comes before the yes. Sometimes we imagine faith means understanding everything before we move forward. But Mary doesn't understand everything. She receives enough to take the next step. I thin...

This week we'll be discovering that questions don't have to be the enemy of faith Somewhere along the way, many of us learned that strong faith meant having answers. We knew what we believed. We didn't question. We were certain. But then life happened. Someone we loved died too soon. A prayer went unanswered. Something we had been taught no longer made sense. We encountered people whose experiences challenged what we thought we knew. Or perhaps we simply began asking questions we had been afraid to ask before. And suddenly faith became more complicated. But maybe complicated isn't always bad. The Bible is filled with people asking questions—sometimes difficult ones. Maybe God isn't threatened by our questions. Maybe faith isn't about eliminating them. Maybe a mature faith becomes big enough to carry them. Let's start our series with one of the biggest questions that can challenge our faith: "Why?" “The opposite of faith is not doubt, but certainty....

“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.” — Marcel Proust “Surely the LORD is in this place—and I did not know it!” — Genesis 28:16 Jacob wasn't looking for God. He was running away. He had deceived his father, taken his brother's blessing, and now Esau wanted to kill him. So Jacob left home. One evening, somewhere between where he had been and where he was going, Jacob stopped for the night. No sanctuary. No altar. No holy place. Just dirt and a stone for a pillow. And there, Jacob dreamed. He saw a stairway between heaven and earth and heard God promise: “Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go.” When Jacob woke up, he said: “Surely the LORD is in this place—and I did not know it!” Maybe that's the perfect ending for this week. Because we spend so much of life waiting to get somewhere else. When I get through this. When things settle down. When I figure out what comes next. When the prayer is answered....

“Hope begins in the dark.” — Anne Lamott “It was the day of Preparation, and the sabbath was beginning.” — Luke 23:54 We know what happened on that Friday. Jesus died. We know what happened on Sunday. The tomb was empty. But what about Saturday? We don't talk much about Saturday. I mean, some traditions say Jesus went to Hades during that time and preached to the dead.  It's called "the Harrowing of Hell" if you want to look it up.  Honestly, that particular tradition is best left under the rug.   Also, you're probably wondering why I am writing about Good Friday and Easter in October.  I promise if you stick with me, it will all make sense.  So, back to the whole idea of not talking that much about the Saturday between Good Friday and Easter.   Maybe the reason we don't talk all that much about it is because nothing seems to happen. Jesus has been buried. The stone has been rolled into place. The disciples are grieving. The women are waiting. No ...