Michaela Moore
Reflections NaNoWriMo 2019 : Examen Spiritual Traditions : CHST 525
Michaela Moore
 
 
 
 
 
 

welcome to the parsonage //

This place has been held by dozens before us, as this parsonage sheltered many a pastor and their families. For over a century, this has been a sacred place of retreat and rest, away form the pulpit and pews. And with the turning of keys, I know that this place cannot be owned, only inhabited.
You can only dwell here.
Not possess.
Not even keep.
Only fill.
And so at the hearth I join the others who have been invited in, who have been granted the great privilege to serve and love in this place. What grace.

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R E F L E C T I O N S / /
Ash Wednesday Homily
Ash Wednesday Homily

“Lent is the time leading up to Jesus’ death where we practice being really, really honest about the lives we have.” - Kate Bowler

Darth Vader Questions in the April Snow
Darth Vader Questions in the April Snow

Even today I look out past drawings of Yoda and ewoks, only to see a white haze on the barren fields outside. The lingering presence of all that has been defeated could not be ignored this week, could it?

Denouncing White Supremacy
Denouncing White Supremacy

You see, it was not the conscious action that lacked selfless love. It was my unconscious, quiet distaste for being told “no thank you.”

Maxie's Mite
Maxie's Mite

We can no longer run from the fear that our lives will not (or do not) matter. And so we are left with the question: Am I just a cat?

On Pandemic, Susceptibility, and the Illusion of Control
On Pandemic, Susceptibility, and the Illusion of Control

As strong as we feel and as invincible as we may seem, times of uncertainty remind us of our own susceptibility.

Ash Thursday
Ash Thursday

In this season of Lent, I will confess my sin to the Lord. And I will confess my dust-ness to myself as grace.

Eagles
Eagles

“Ms. Jean said that when you see eagles, you’ll know.”

An Autumn Prayer
An Autumn Prayer

May we root ourselves in You, O God. And may the lesser things fall away.

On Sacred Motherhood, For My Son
On Sacred Motherhood, For My Son

Its funny how these births happen, sweet boy.
How you are born, and I am born all over.

Three-Strandedness
Three-Strandedness

Because lacking cords means lacking chords. Missing members in our love means a silent love song.

Planting Seed
Planting Seed

“The farmers will plant when they can, pressing the seed in deep in last year’s rows. It’ll grow up right between the dying things. You’ll see.”

The Resurrection of Dinosaurs and Other Mysteries
The Resurrection of Dinosaurs and Other Mysteries

Essentially, explain Mystery, Mom.

Dance
Dance

My shy daughter may not tap or spin in the recital, but she knows how to live in her body. Look at her. All of her is right here. Right now.

A God for Mama's
A God for Mama's

“You are the God who sees me— El Roi. For I have now seen the One who sees me.”
Hagar births a new understanding of this Yahweh for all of us.

Kites
Kites

I had never realized the pure and simple pleasure of tension on a string— the pull between my bone and blood body and the unseen mystery of the wind. The gripping tug between heaven and earth finally tangible.

Night Watch
Night Watch

We wonder in the dark on Saturdays when everything is still and somber and given into the night. But there is a light coming.

The Giant
The Giant

When facing plundering giants, we have to trust that we are more loved than we are afraid.

Like Corn
Like Corn

One cannot help put ponder the grandness of such a thought. To touch one’s own skin and imagine God within us, too. Is there anything more hope-filled, anything at all more wonderful?

Berry Picking
Berry Picking

When we walked up to the parsonage, I saw that big overgrown bush pressed tight against the side of the garage, and I knew that this was the grace we had been praying for.

On Training Wheels
On Training Wheels

The Father comes and leads and tends to us like a gracious parent who trots alongside a wobbly toddler, patient through a dozen seasons of toppling and terror, gracious all the way until we ride in His peace.

The Play Set
The Play Set

The Carpenter would know a thing or two about building a cedar play set or the old wooden table. And He knows about building the Church and Kingdom, too.

A Given Home
A Given Home

And with the turning of keys, I know that this place cannot be owned, only inhabited. You can only dwell here. Not possess. But fill.

Kids have been leaving these kinds of gems on my phone 😉 action shots, neck rolls, short clips of choreographed dances— the works. They get weirder and more delightful every few months… Also— I had the chance to share with our lo
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100 year old day to celebrate 100 days of school! @acaciaacademy
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This week, a friend found this old picture in a book from the public library and brought it to Olivia at school. Benson left his “bookmark” in the returned book, but it was found by a friend who knew that living room and the young kids in
January is a reflective month for us— easing into the new calendar year, opening our eyes to “what is” during Epiphany, and (for myself) approaching another birthday. Figured I would share some beautiful (and sometimes hard) momen