Mercy’s Light

light of Advent

As Advent approaches and it gets darker in the northern hemisphere, the daylight in South Africa, where I live, stretches longer and longer. I haul out my Advent candles, which in the summer heat often end up slumped over by Christmas Day, and place them on the table.  I need the light.  South Africa is…

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Lights-On Love

lights-on love

I jumped as someone pounded on my front door.  On a sleeting Tuesday morning in November, at the height of Covid isolation, we certainly weren’t expecting anyone. I cautiously opened the door and saw a teenage boy standing on my front steps. He was breathing heavily; I could tell he had been running. It took…

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The Privilege of Friendship

intergenerational community

Gathered around the familiar multi-purpose, formica folding tables, I was the youngest of the group by at least ten years. Thursday Bible study had become a treasured time because of the insight, wisdom, and humor that these wiser women shared with me. One day, as a new session began, some younger women invited me to…

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What to Do After a School Shooting

What to do after a school shooting

Today’s parents in the United States are regularly confronted with the horror of yet another school shooting. Each time this happens, we feel angry and anguished, grieving the tragedy and overwhelmed by what this means for our own children. Our faith compels us to cry out against violence and evil. God promises to hear our…

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Why I Stay

conflicted relationship with church as parent

There are days when I wonder why I’m still in the Church. Days when I am so jaded by the politics and hypocrisy and scandals that too often haunt our Christian communities that I wonder if there is anything left of the Church worth staying for. Is there anything left for my children to learn,…

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Clear The List 2022

Thank you to all who have shared their back-to-school lists with us as part of our 1st crowdfunding effort! For weeks now we’ve been telling you about Mothering Spirit, the new ecumenical, collaborative community we’re launching this Labor Day to share stories, prayers, and resources from diverse voices to help you pray through parenting. But…

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Welcome to the new Mothering Spirit

Mothering Spirit

Starting in September 2022, Mothering Spirit will become a new gathering place to explore parenting and spirituality.  With storytelling shaped by the liturgical seasons, this collaborative, ecumenical project will offer weekly essays and prayers from diverse voices on motherhood – plus virtual retreats, e-books, resources, and creative ways to connect our stories with God’s story.…

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