Tag: death
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Welcomed in
I remember the day I walked into my church for the first time. I had been feeling the pull to seek a church, even though I had only attended worship a handful of times in my life. At the time, I lived within walking distance of at least five churches, so I had my pick. I…
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The heavenly party (for Kristen)
My friend Kristen Dellaporta left this world on Friday, December 18 after living with metastatic breast cancer with wit, passion, love, and courage. Her motto up until the end, and inked on her arm was, “In grace, in love, be relentless.” French author Émile Zola’s famous pronouncement, “If you ask me what I came to do…
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Left hanging
I am reflecting today on the message of Good Friday and how it offers us the opportunity to examine the experience of human suffering as a spiritual wake-up call – to be more compassionate, empathetic and present for others. I have been thinking of all the ways that like Jesus, we are left to suffer – and how often…
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Psalm 23 Summer Faith Challenge: the comfort of God
For you are with me; your rod and your staff— they comfort me. This week at church, we are asked to provide a picture of or describe something that God uses to offer comfort, either now or in the past. I struggled a bit with this exercise because my inclination was to offer up something…
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The green tree in your heart
Five years ago on Easter Sunday, I awoke early in the morning, sensing something was about to change. Soon after, I went into labor. While Christians everywhere celebrated the resurrection of Christ, I awaited the arrival of my daughter. She was born the next evening, but Easter and birth are now inextricably linked in my mind.…
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Transition
This has been a painful, heart-opening couple of weeks for me and my family. My 88 year old grandmother Millie has congestive heart failure and is making a slow, steady transition from this life. She has mostly been alert, aware, communicative at times and thankfully, not in pain. The decision was made this past Wednesday…
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A matter of life and death
This morning, I read a very emotional article in the New York Times about a man named Julio Garcia, who died of a died of a brain hemorrhage in March 2010 and how at least seven people received organs from him after his death. In the untimely loss of one person there is now the…
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