Walking and Breaking Bread with Jesus
“I’m tired, life is stressful” might be a mantra for us as summer arrives. We look forward to get away, slow down and maybe even get some inner stuff sorted when we have some down time.  Prayers for the Deck & Dock 2017 is our gift to you to encourage this inner reflection. This year’s title is Walking and Breaking Bread with Jesus. It is an invitation to awareness of his presence in our activities, our walks and our meals. Just hit this link …… for the printable pdf for your summer enjoyment.

Willie Nelson’ new album God’s Problem Child has a wistful quality that may be an expression of his age and stage. The title song ends with the lines; Darkness may fall / We still got a light / Keeping us all / Safe through the night / Heaven must love/ God's problem child / Heaven must love / God's problem child

It is a wonderful combination of realism, hope and confidence in the love heaven expresses for even those of us who fall into the “problem child” category. Certainly I have many days when I know that is the case but I also know that I have been loved even in the darkness.

“FRIEND: What do I do when I don’t like who I am?  ME: Hang out with people who do like who you are.” (Richard Wagamese. Embers One Ojibway’s Meditations p 64)”

I like that. It is always fascinating how self-critical we can be. While I challenge friends when they operate from a self-deprecating place – they often laugh because I share the same vulnerability.

“It’s as if God has given up on running the universe and has settled into His new gig writing a planetary sitcom.” (Cathal Kelly,  Globe & Mail, May 29, 2017) You may have noticed that Paris and climate change have been in the news lately. Whatever your views on the issue, I think Kelly’s sardonic comment gets at our puzzlement about the world’s politics.

A couple of weeks ago I mentioned my new turntable and rediscovering old albums that had been on a shelf for 30 years. The sounds had lain dormant in the vinyl tracks for years and came back to life with the drop of a needle – creating wonder and joy for me.