Monday, December 14, 2020
I don’t know why I’ve been putting it off, but this morning I finally turned the calendar on my wall from November to December. (It’s been that kind of year.) And now I can see that in just two more weeks it will be time to turn the final page and put up the new calendar for 2021. Barbara Mann shares in Fruit of the Vine that sharing our struggles makes a difference for others who “need to know they are not alone,” and she encourages us to also share stories of where we have seen God at work – stories of hope.
Where have you seen God in action during the year? —Eric Muhr
“As I progress in years, I feel a burning desire to share the story of where I’ve seen God in action during the year, and where I hope to see God show up. Sharing struggles is important, because others need to know they are not alone in their trials. There is something exciting about reading or hearing where people have noticed God’s presence and activity. These stories bring us hope” —Barbara Mann, excerpted from Fruit of the Vine
“Feeling the drama of a Bible story I know well is challenging because I know how it ends. Yet standing on the same ground as biblical Shiloh, I felt Hannah’s pain expand in me; I became immersed in her story. As I read the prayer, stopping at particular parts that spoke to my condition, I became more aware of the unshakable Eternal Now who gathers us.” —Elizabeth Todd, excerpted from the Illuminate study of 1 Samuel 1:9–23; 1:26–2:10.
through a preposterously s l o w lens
searching for signs of life, indiscernible
because, like Russian nesting dolls, we bury
our Light inside, seeking escape
only u n l o c k e d from within
—Joann Renee Boswell, from “The First Frontier” in Cosmic Pockets
To support and sustain the work of Barclay Press, we need your help to raise $23,000 between now and the end of this year. In addition, our goal for this next year is for forty supporters to make recurring monthly donations of $25 or more each month. Click here (or on the DONATE button below) to show your support.
Eric Muhr
|
