Rev. Jenn's Blog
Peace is the Way
Several years ago, I bought a bumper sticker which said: “There is no way to peace. Peace is the way.” For days, I couldn’t decide where to place it on my car. After much contemplation, I tacked it on a bulletin board instead, believing I needed the reminder more than...
‘Tis (Not) the Season
Travel with me, Blessed Reader, on a brief shopping excursion. The early November afternoon is an unseasonably warm 85 degrees. Many people are out and about, the usual roadways congested, though not unmanageable. On one of these roadways, an area is fenced off. An...
In the Clear
As November in North Central Florida unfolds, I notice on my walks around the pond how many leaves have fallen on the path. I also notice, after the weekly landscape clean-up, how the area has transformed since the lushness of summer. The brush grass where the gray...
You Got It?
With the 2015 World Series now underway, I’m remembering an old, black and white film which includes a scene on a baseball field. In it, Bud Abbot plays a manager and Lou Costello an outfielder. Abbott yells at Costello to catch a line drive careening toward him in...
Rushing To Red
On my travels from my home to the church I serve, I often drive a four-lane stretch of road with a 45-mile-an-hour speed limit. Much of this journey takes me past several churches. Hence, the road is sometimes called Church Row. It’s also sprinkled with shopping...
Imagine, Then Harvest
One of my favorite scenes in the delightful movie, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is Gene Wilder as Wonka singing Leslie Bricusse’s song “Pure Imagination.” In particular, the lyric, “Anything you want to, do it. Want to change the world? There's nothing to it”...
Let Your Light So Shine
As I enjoy my first autumn in North Central Florida, I notice the various ways the sunlight shines into the house and when. In this season before we return the clocks to Standard Time, sunlight creeps into the bedroom a little later in the morning and casts sharper...
See with God-Colored Glasses
Just as millions of others around the world this past week, I have watched and listened to Pope Francis and reflected on much of what he’s said. While I don’t share the exact theology he does, I greatly honor and respect his desire to live the Gospel as he understands...
Living the Divine Now
Autumn is here. Leaves are changing color. The sun rises later and sets earlier. And nestled among the aisles of pumpkins, gourds and bags of Halloween candy are Christmas ornaments, strings of lights and sparkly wrapping paper. This year, as before, Thanksgiving is...
Pour Out a Blessing
I don’t know how it’s been in your life, Blessed Reader, but on occasion, I’ve been very tough on myself. Not only have I been embarrassed, upset or in pain, I’ve also gotten down on myself, especially in reliving distressing moments, wishing I’d done something else...
Remember Where You Were?
I remember as a young woman, as November 22nd approached, my father sharing his memories of that day in 1963. He worked in New York City at the time and was walking down Madison Avenue when news poured out of doorways and into the streets: President Kennedy had been...
Come Away and Rest
Long before I had credentials to officiate at wedding ceremonies, I coordinated weddings in the family catering business. Officiating is tremendously rewarding and fun. And while it takes a certain amount of work to officiate a wedding ceremony, it isn’t anything like...
Trust Divine Time
Remember the text from Ecclesiastes 3: “For everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under heaven”? I like to imagine the Pauline writer (some biblical scholars aren’t convinced it was actually Paul) of Ephesians 5:15-19 knew that text when he wrote:...
Believe, Then See
Faith often requires strong spiritual muscles and keen inner sight, especially when life moves in ways we haven’t directed. In such moments, we seek proof that things will work out just as we would wish them. Often we want exact answers and assurance which passes all...
"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." - Hebrews 11:1 Within us is all the faith we ever need for life. Travel with me on a journey of faith as we discover all the ways our faith sustains and supports us on all the roads of...
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