Speaking of Spirit

 Mother and Child (c) 2018 Rev. Linda M. Rhinehart Neas "Unto us a child is born." - Isaiah 9:6 Years ago, in the church of my childhood, I first heard these words said during Midnight Mass. I wondered at the time why the Babe was being born "to us." But, as is the habit with children, I didn't ponder the point for long. In fact, I didn't think about it again, until the following year, when the grand announcement was once again given.   So, why does the prophet use these exact words? A half-century later, I believe it is because in cultures around the world, the birth of a child is not simply celebrated by family, but also by the community. A baby is evidence that life continues. Regardless of what horrors the child might be born into, the child's birth brings hope that Love will triumph.   A child is born someplace in the world every quarter of a second - that's four babies per second! Humanity, despite all the pain and suff...

This has been one of the toughest weeks I have had when it comes to staying current with the news. I literally hurt inside. Last Tuesday, I read that children were being separated, forcefully at times, from parents who had come into the country without documentation. As I researched the situation, I learned that children were being put into facilities with minimum comforts, their parents were not allowed to contact them or even know where their children were. At that time, I said I would not be silent.  As I have researched, I have had to wade through misinformation on both sides to the issues. Honestly, it is difficult to know who to believe.  One thing I know, because the administration has admitted doing it, is that children ARE being separated from their parents as a "deterrent" to continuing into the US.  I am disturbed that some people feel that because this or that happened in the past or the fact that the parents are without documents, this somehow justi...

“The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb,  The leopard shall lie down with the young goat,  The calf and the young lion and the fatling together;  And a little child shall lead them. Isaiah 11:6 Yesterday, millions of children, young people, their teachers, parents and supports protested gun violence. This was a world-wide event with sister protests in every continent except Antarctica.  The speakers at the Washington, DC protest were very articulate, very courageous children and young people. They brought me to tears with their words, their bravery, and their conviction.  Emma Gonzalez, one of the Parkland students, a student leader and activist, stood for six and a half minutes in silence. Six and a half minutes - the time it took to the shooter to kill her classmates. She ended her speech with the challenge, "Fight for your lives before it's someone else's job."  Martin Luther King's granddaughter was among the speakers. She shared that she...

Holy One - we come today to pray for the fathers of this world, who daily struggle to provide for families, to care for and nurture their children,  and for whom the responsibility can be too great.    Bless all the fathers  that, daily, hold their children in wonder, sharing with them Your Love.    Bless all the fathers - even those who are absent - Open their hearts and minds to Love. Bless all the families of fathers who are in eternal rest. Give them joyous memories, strength to carry them through the days ahead,  and the balm of Your Love to soothe their grief. Creator of All - we come to you in prayer for all the fathers of this world. Hold them in Your Hand, give them wisdom, strength and gentleness, so that they may be models of Your Love to their children, and their children's children, now and for years to come. Amen.

Photo Credit: (c) 2017 L M Neas Each year at this time, young people graduate from high schools and colleges. This is a rite of passage for these young people. The door of childhood is closing as they are guided into the world of adults, hopefully with the tools and wisdom that will sustain them through the rest of their lives. Let us pray - Great Teacher of All that Is, bless these young people, near and far, as they take their first steps of independence. Watch over them as they test themselves - and the world; bless them with wisdom to know when to stop, and when to go forward; bless them with courage to say, no, and to fearlessly say, yes, to the challenges  before them;  bless them with open hearts and minds. Protect them, Dear Blessed One, from harm, from despair and from bad judgement. Surround them with your angels -  both ethereal and corporeal - to guide them through the dark tunnels, twisting paths and ...

By Bliu pastels (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 ] This Father's Day, my mind turns to all those fathers in our world who are struggling to find balance in this life for their families, who are living with the task of making decisions no parent should ever need to make and who are battling forces that threaten the lives of their children as well as their own. My mind turns to all thos e men who have fathered children not their own, simply because t hey needed the love and gentle touch of a man who could spend the time to be there. My mind turns to my father - my Daddy - who battled in equal measure the threats to world freedom and freedom from disease.  My mind turns to my sons-in-love, all of whom work tirelessly to provide their children with the best life has to offer by being present in ways their fathers weren't able to be present. With all these fathers in mind, I offer my humble prayer... Abba , Gracious Source of All, bless those who struggle to raise their childre...

Over the last few days, I have been haunted by the images of refugees fleeing Syria.  As a mother and grandmother, my heart has once more been broken by the total horror of this world.  The little one found on the shore wasn't so much flotsam and jetsam.  He was someone's precious little boy, someone's blessed little grandson.   I am of the belief that all children are our children - whether we birth them or they live thousands of miles away - they are our children.  We, as a global community are responsible for them, as responsible as if they lived in our own homes.   I, like many of us out there, feel helpless in these situations. BUT, one thing I have learned - I cannot, will not stay silent .  I must raise my voice in prayer and protest when the horrors of war and injustice slither out from under the rocks in which they hide.  That being the case, this is my offering, humble as it is.  Perhaps it will reach those who have the...

By Andrés Nieto Porras  from Palma de Mallorca, España  via Wikimedia Commons Holy Source of All, bless those who struggle to raise their children in the world of technology and mindlessness. Help those men known as Dad, Papa, Daddy, Pa, to find those precious moments to hold their children, to teach their children, to love their children, as you love all that is - beyond measure, without conditions. When they are tired, bless them with the strength to listen to the adventures of childhood days. When they are worried, bless them with wisdom to know how to let go of their cares. When they are frustrated, bless them with patience to understand the cause of their frustrations, so that they do not lash out at their children. Blessed Parent, shower the fathers of this world in grace so that they will shine as examples of Your Love  for their children and the world.  

Image via Wikipedia “A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials, heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine, desert us when troubles thicken around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts”. --Washington Irving God our Creator, we pray: for new mothers, coming to terms with new responsibility; for expectant mothers, wondering and waiting; for those who are tired, stressed or depressed; for those who struggle to balance the tasks of work and family; for those who are unable to feed their children due to poverty; for those whose children have physical, mental or emotional disabilities; for those who have children they do not want; for those who raise children on their own; for those who have lost a child; for those who care for the children of others; ...