Scripps Sundays

  Commentary Below from Blue Letter Bible  C. The priestly blessing. 1. ( Numbers 6:22-23 ) The command to bless the people. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, ‘This is the way you shall bless the children of Israel. Say to them:’” a.  This is the way you shall bless : Moses, Aaron, and their spiritual descendants were commanded to  bless  the people of God. They were to do it according to the procedure detailed in the following verses.  “The priests were always there pronouncing this blessing at the close of the daily morning service in the temple and later in the synagogues.” (Wenham)  “So Christ did upon his apostles, which was his last action upon earth, ( Luke 24:50 ) and so must all pastors do that would do good on it, pray down a blessing on their people.” (Trapp) b.  Say to them : The Bible does not give us many written prayers, that were meant to be repeated. Another example would be what is often c...

  I listened to a podcast the other day with Kristin Neff talking about self-compassion.  https://www.nosmallendeavor.com/self-compassion-kristin-neff  (The transcript is great to skim through if you don't have time to listen to it.)  Apparently her research shows that writing a self-compassion letter 1 x a day for 1 week could increase your happiness for 6 months and lesson depression for 3 months!  So, maybe you would find 5 minutes each day to jot yourself a note between now and when you get to Nashville or maybe you can do it when you get to Nashville or maybe you can find some other time this summer for such an experiment...   This might be just what the doctor ordered....  Self-Compassionate Letter Instructions    Self-Compassionate Letter Instructions (including the research behind it).  💗💙💗💙💗

I wanted to pass back a few of my favorite pictures from your South American album that you’ve shared, hoping they will inspire you to take some time as you wrap up your time there to feel grounded and to continue to soak it up. Look around. Remember those things that give you life. Breathe. Love the world deeply. (Mary Oliver's poem below will help you lean into this!)  As I looked at these again, I am struck with how you have literally plunged into this experience with your all. You have soaked up and shared with us the beauty of the ice, the family, the movement, the food, the sunshine, the mountains, the colors, the water, the penguins (including the hilarious juvenile emperor penguins), the exploration. You have developed new skills in language and learning about yourself and the world around you. You have shown kindness and thoughtfulness and love (Mickey Mouse!), and you have made time to talk about lizards....  Mindful by  Mary Oliver Everyday I see or hear someth...

Just because I thought you might need this to start your Monday morning.....  a blessing for a little boost in the morning Today is new, oh God, The light is gathering and spilling onto everything. The sleeping and the sleepy. The trees brushing the window. Even the unwashed dishes know it’s time. What a gift. Unopened. Lord, you know the obstacle course ahead. The intractability of most of my problems. The irritations I will need to smile through. The forgetfulness that will undo my best efforts. And the fights I will need to pick because someone really should. But bring me back to this moment, God. The gratitude that rises up within me lifts my eyes and settles my soul. Resurrection has happened again today— you made the sun rise, and brought love to the world already, in the shape of a cross. The hardest work is already done. The work that remains is simply more of it: more love, more trust, more faith in the unseen pleasure you take just gazing at us, sitting here. We look ahea...

I texted this to you earlier this week, but I think it's worth reading again along with this prayer I used to frame my trip and this awesome Kate Bowler quote from her podcast interview.   Turning to the day and to each other, we open ourselves to the day and each other. This is the day that the Lord has made and a day we’ll make our way through. Whether with ease or pain, With energy or exhaustion, with patience or anxiety, with joy or sorrow, with celebration or disappointment, may we find opportunities for generosity toward others and ourselves. May we find moments of encounter even in isolation. May we always know that we are held in Your love,  and may that love spill over into the people before us. May we see others as You see them with deep delight, and may we remember that we belong to each other. May we begin again where we have failed again. Because this is a way of living That’s worth living daily. Carpe diem. Seize the day. I think I always thought that was an...

permission to feel it all I  feel things big. And for the longest time, I felt so much shame because of it. I need reminders that my emotions are not bad or good. They’re just information. You feel angry because this is unjust. You feel sad because this is awful. You feel tired because this is exhausting. Your emotions are not wrong or bad or lying to you or the full truth. They’re giving you a bit of data that you shouldn’t ignore. We love and lose and fall and get back up and fail and try again. This is what it means to be human, to feel the pain, the grief, the stress, the risk, the fear, the heartbreak. So you, beautiful creature, you here is your permission slip to feel it all, to feel the joy and delight and excitement and the sorrow and fear and despair. All the yellows and pinks and violets and grays, because you are the whole damn sky. -Kate Bowler  https://youtu.be/Tns9Vs8OvKA?si=vxwOQbTCCb4Vb58A