Forward Day By Day – March 17, 2019

Sunday, March 17, 2019

As parents, we want to keep our children safe under our wings. We hold our breath the first time a toddler tumbles; our hearts break at teenage disappointments or an adult child’s harsh treatment in a harsh world. And we are devastated when they stumble and...

Forward Day By Day – March 16, 2019

Saturday, March 16, 2019

As we grow older, we are less likely to recognize thirst. We may think we’re hungry or tired long before we realize we are becoming dehydrated and need a drink of water. We can easily fail to recognize our spiritual dehydration too, until we are parched and find...

Forward Day By Day – March 15, 2019

Friday, March 15, 2019

How does it feel to have a clean heart and a right spirit? Years ago, I found myself leaving a church position because the rector and I were simply at odds. That priest eventually left the parish; I went on to become director of communications for our diocese. For...

Forward Day By Day – March 14, 2019

Thursday, March 14, 2019

One of my treasures hangs on our living room wall. On this canvas painted by my uncle is a large red rock amid other rocks in a fast-flowing stream. He captured the light and power of the rapids beautifully. When I read this verse, I picture Uncle Joe’s...

Forward Day By Day – March 13, 2019

Wednesday, March 13, 2019

After church one Sunday, a fairly new member exclaimed to several of us, “I love this church! There are so many real born-again Christian people!” I do not match the criteria for what many people mean by born-again. “Oh,” ….(View this reading and more resources...

Forward Day By Day – March 12, 2019

Tuesday, March 12, 2019

At a conference I attended, the leader of a gospel choir pointed out that many of us were clapping wrong. In gospel music—as in most African musical traditions and most of today’s popular music—the clap is on the off-beat, not the downbeat. After some practice, I...

Forward Day By Day – March 11, 2019

Monday, March 11, 2019

It’s been a rough winter. The world is troubled, and there are messages from friends dealing with difficulties—illnesses and deaths, family crises, disappointing changes—so much grief. I’ve been fighting colds and allergies and currently have pink eye. My...

Forward Day By Day – March 10, 2019

Sunday, March 10, 2019

For many years we were members of a neighborhood church with a rapidly growing Afro-Caribbean population. With the influx of West Indian Anglicans, we needed to build a larger space for worship. Our rector sadly told us that the diocesan committee had refused our...

Forward Day By Day – March 9, 2019

Saturday, March 9, 2019

The phrase “toxic masculinity” has become part of the conversation about forms of violence in our society. Toxic masculinity excuses bad behavior with the adage “Boys will be boys.” This approach isn’t helpful for any of us, boys or otherwise, especially when it...

Forward Day By Day – March 8, 2019

Friday, March 8, 2019

I was named Mary for my father’s mother, and my middle name is Miller, my maternal grandmother’s maiden name. Until I was five or six, I was called Mary Miller—which I hated. Like a number of women of my generation, I took my husband’s last name when we...

Forward Day By Day – March 7, 2019

Thursday, March 7, 2019

Most days I haven’t been out of bed very long before I catch sight of a headline on my phone or the front page of the newspaper and plunge headlong into fretting because of evildoers. This seems a particularly dark time in our country.Surely, we aren’t supposed to let...

Forward Day By Day – March 6, 2019

Wednesday, March 6, 2019

Growing up Presbyterian, I don’t recall observing Ash Wednesday, much less fasting. As an adult Episcopalian, I decided that since gluttony is one of my more obvious sins, not eating on Ash Wednesday would be an appropriate discipline. For several years, I set dinner...

Forward Day By Day – March 5, 2019

Tuesday, March 5, 2019

The scholars ponder: The DivineIndwells—or not? The bread and wine.Of God’s “real presence,” I’ve no doubt;my own, I’m not so sure about.Paying attention is not easy. In conversation, even with those dear to me, I often realize….(View this reading and more...

Forward Day By Day – March 4, 2019

Monday, March 4, 2019

A group of us were hiking up a mountain trail, and the trail markings suddenly seemed confusing. We headed in one direction, then quickly retraced our steps. As we debated our options, a woman came up the path behind us. She was part of a group of volunteers...

Forward Day By Day – March 3, 2019

Sunday, March 3, 2019

We sometimes see glimpses of transfiguration at a wedding, the birth of a child, or the celebration of some significant accomplishment. “She was glowing,” we say. “His face lit up.”What if we could see that light and recognize belovedness in every face?We live...