Shabbat Nachamu is the Sabbath that follows Tisha B’Av, the day marking the destruction of the temple. Nachamu is the Hebrew word for comfort and so Shabbat Nachamu is also called the Sabbath of consolation. The passage read on this day of grief and reflection is Isaiah 40, starting, “Comfort, comfort my people.” After the destruction of the…
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Like a Mother
There are many kinds of mothers described in the Bible - Eve, the mother of all; Sarah, who birthed Israel; Bathsheba, who advocated for her son Solomon; Hagar who sacrificed for Ishmael, Hannah, who believed and gave Samuel to God; and, of course, Elizabeth and Mary. Hosea uses the imagery of a ferocious mother bear…
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Un-Promised Land
In my temptation to overstay a season, with its relative comfort and predictability, I wonder what I may have missed out on. The courageous Israelites that moved into the Promised Land and a new season did not include everyone. There were two and a half tribes that decided not to go. They saw the lush…
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Comfortable?
While camping, I noticed the many things I do to stay comfortable – even while in the “outdoors.” I enjoy being out in God’s creation, but on my terms. And it seems that some of those accommodations move me further from the creation I seek to enjoy. I can enjoy God’s creation through the window…
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