Reflections on Exodus 14:10–31 and Matthew 2:13–15
What makes you feel safe?
Perhaps it is a familiar voice, a door closing at the end of the day, or knowing that someone will answer when you call. Safety often lives in ordinary things: food in the cupboard, a welcoming place, people we can trust.
We may hardly notice these gifts until something changes.
The Israelites knew that feeling. They had left Egypt, but now Pharaoh’s army was behind them and the sea was ahead. Freedom had brought them to a place where they could see no way forward.
In Matthew’s Gospel, Joseph receives a warning that Jesus is in danger. He takes Mary and the child and leaves for Egypt. A family must leave home to find safety somewhere unfamiliar.
One journey leads out of Egypt; the other leads into it. Both begin with danger and uncertainty.
These stories remind us that our need for safety matters. Faith does not require us to ignore danger or hide our fear. Joseph responds to the warning by protecting his family. The Israelites cry out because they are frightened.
God meets them there.
At the sea, a way opens. Joseph receives direction for the next part of his family’s journey. Neither is given a complete map of everything ahead.
That is often how hope comes to us, too.
We would like to know how every problem will be resolved. We want assurance that a loved one will recover, a relationship will heal, or tomorrow will be easier. Sometimes all we can see is one small step.
A phone call. An honest conversation. An offer of help. Enough rest to begin again.
Hope can give us courage to take that step while questions remain.
The Israelites still had a wilderness journey ahead. Mary, Joseph, and Jesus still had to live far from home. Yet God’s presence accompanied them beyond the moment of escape.
And their stories ask something of us.
If we know what helps us feel safe, how might we offer some of that care to another person?
Someone may need a meal, a ride, or a patient listener. Someone new to our neighbourhood may need a welcome. Someone sitting beside us in church may be carrying a fear we cannot see.
We cannot solve every difficulty, but we can listen and ask, “What would help?”
A congregation can become a place where people find companionship and practical care. Our homes, tables, and conversations can offer that welcome as well.
This week, give thanks for someone who helps you feel safe. Then offer one act of care to someone else.
May we trust God with the next faithful step—and help our neighbours know they do not have to travel alone.
I have been thinking about blessings—blessings given and blessings received.
When we hear the word blessing, we may think about family and friends, a safe home, meaningful work, enough food, a caring church community or simply the gift of another day. Some blessings arrive with great joy. Others are quiet and easily overlooked until we pause long enough to recognize them.
But what happens after we receive a blessing? How do we answer God?
Our first response may be, “Thank you.” Gratitude matters. Yet Scripture shows us that God’s blessings are rarely intended to stop with the person who receives them. A blessing is placed into our hands so that it can move through our hands into the lives of others.
Receive the Blessing
God said to Abram:
“I will bless you…and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
Before Abram accomplished anything, God made a promise. The blessing began with God.
The same is true for us. Before we serve, give or go, we first receive. We receive life, grace, forgiveness and the love of God revealed in Jesus Christ.
Sometimes we become so focused on what we should be doing for God that we forget what God has already done for us.
Who has blessed you along the way? Who prayed for you, encouraged you or taught you? Who welcomed you when you felt alone? Who showed you forgiveness when you needed another chance?
Some blessings become clear only when we look back and realize that God was present through a person, a conversation, an opportunity or even a difficult season that helped shape us.
Our first response is to recognize the blessing and say, “Thank you, God. I see what you have given me.”
But God’s promise does not end with “I will bless you.” God continues: “So that you will be a blessing.”
Become the Blessing
Abram was not blessed simply so that his own life would be comfortable. God blessed him so that all the families of the earth might be blessed through him.
The blessing came with a purpose.
This gives us a deeper question to consider. It is not only, “How has God blessed me?” It is also:
Who might God be seeking to bless through me?
Perhaps God has given you wisdom gathered through years of living. That wisdom may help someone facing a difficult decision.
Perhaps you have experienced grief and discovered that God can carry us through it. Your presence may comfort someone who has recently suffered a loss.
Perhaps someone once welcomed, encouraged or forgave you. Now you have an opportunity to offer that same gift to another person.
We may believe that we have little to offer, especially when our energy, health or circumstances have changed. But God’s calling does not come with an age limit.
A telephone call can be a blessing.
A card can be a blessing.
A meal, a prayer or a listening ear can be a blessing.
Sharing a story of faith with a younger person can be a blessing.
We become a blessing whenever God’s love reaches another person through us.
Carry the Blessing Into the World
Many generations after Abram, Jesus stood before his disciples and said:
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.”
God told Abram, “Go.”
Jesus told his disciples, “Go.”
The promise given to Abram and the Great Commission given to the disciples belong to the same story. God promised that all the families of the earth would be blessed through Abram. Jesus then sent his followers to carry his way of love to all nations.
The Great Commission is about more than filling church buildings. Jesus calls us to help others discover and live his way:
Love God.
Love your neighbour.
Welcome the stranger.
Feed the hungry.
Forgive one another.
Care for those who are vulnerable.
Serve rather than seeking to be first.
Sometimes “go” means travelling across the world. More often, it means crossing the smaller distances that separate us from one another.
Go across the room and speak to the person standing alone.
Go to the telephone and call someone who has been absent.
Go beyond an old disagreement and take the first step toward reconciliation.
Go into your community and listen to what people need.
There is something wonderfully reassuring in this passage. Matthew tells us that when the disciples saw Jesus, they worshipped him—but some doubted.
Some doubted, and Jesus still sent them.
They did not have perfect faith or all the answers. Yet Jesus entrusted his mission to them. We do not need to be perfectly prepared before God can work through us. We offer what we have, and God uses it.
Abram received a call and a promise: “Go, and I will bless you.”
The disciples also received a call and a promise: “Go, and remember that I am with you always.”
That promise belongs to us too.
We receive the blessing.
We become the blessing.
We carry the blessing into the world.
This Week
Name one blessing God has placed in your life. Give thanks for it—and then find one way to pass that blessing along.
Through a kind word, a telephone call, a prayer or a helping hand, let someone experience God’s love through you.
We are blessed to be a blessing—and Christ goes with us.
God created the heavens and the earth. God filled the world with life and entrusted humanity with the responsibility of caring for creation. Yet, as the generations passed, people moved farther and farther away from God. Violence spread. Relationships were broken. The goodness of creation became difficult to see beneath the damage humanity had caused.
Genesis tells us that God was grieved.
Then came the flood. Noah, his household and representatives of every living creature entered the ark. The rains fell, the waters rose and the world as they knew it disappeared.
It is often presented as a colourful children’s story filled with animals marching two by two. Yet this is not an easy or cheerful story. It is a story of violence, destruction and deep sorrow. Even God regrets what has happened.
But destruction is not the final word.
When the waters recede and Noah steps onto dry ground, God makes a covenant—not only with Noah, but with Noah’s descendants and every living creature upon the earth.
God places a rainbow in the sky as the sign of that promise.
More Than a Contract
We sometimes use the words contract and covenant as though they mean the same thing. But a covenant goes deeper.
A contract says, “I will do this if you do that.”
A covenant says, “I am binding myself to you. I will remain faithful.”
God’s covenant with Noah does not depend upon humanity suddenly becoming perfect. In fact, God already knows the human heart. Nevertheless, God chooses relationship. God promises to remain connected to humanity and to the whole created world.
The rainbow declares that God has not given up on creation.
What Do We See in a Rainbow?
When we see a rainbow, what comes to mind?
Perhaps we think first about the science—the way sunlight meets drops of water and separates into colour.
Perhaps we simply stop to admire its beauty.
Or perhaps we remember God’s promise.
We do not have to choose between these responses. Science can help us understand how a rainbow appears, while faith helps us receive what it signifies. Its colours stretch across the sky as a reminder that judgment is not God’s final word.
Mercy is still possible.
Relationship can be restored.
Life can begin again.
Signs That Help Us Remember
The rainbow is not the only sign that draws us back to God’s promises.
Jesus tells us, “Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.”
Whenever we gather as a family of faith, we become another sign of God’s covenant. We do not gather because we have been perfectly faithful. We gather because God is faithful.
When we break bread together, we remember the new covenant revealed in Christ.
We remember Jesus’ life and love. We remember his suffering and imagine the scars upon his hands and feet. We remember his promise never to leave or forsake us.
The rainbow turns our eyes towards God’s promise to creation.
The bread turns our hearts towards God’s promise revealed in Christ.
Both signs tell us the same truth: God has not abandoned us.
Becoming Signs of the Covenant
God’s covenant is not merely something we admire. It shapes the way we live.
If God remains faithful, we are called to practise faithfulness.
If God chooses mercy, we are called to offer mercy.
If God’s promise includes every living creature, we are called to care for the earth and all who share it.
This week, watch for signs of God’s faithfulness—a rainbow, shared bread, a gathering of friends or an unexpected moment of grace.
Then become a sign of God’s covenant for someone else.
Keep a promise. Offer forgiveness. Care for creation. Sit with someone who feels forgotten. Remind another person that they are not alone.
There is always more to the story.
The rainbow is more than something beautiful after a storm. The bread is more than food placed upon a table. They are signs that call us back to the foundation of our faith:
God remembers. God remains. God’s promises are true.
And because God keeps covenant with us, we can become people of promise for one another.
This Week’s Invitation
Watch for signs of God’s faithfulness—a rainbow, shared bread, a gathering of friends or an unexpected moment of grace. Then become a sign of God’s covenant for someone else: keep a promise, offer mercy, care for creation or remind someone that they are not alone.
Think about everything that hand has done. It has worked, created, cooked, carried burdens and held the hands of people you love. It may have written notes, played music, tended a garden, knitted, repaired something or rested gently on someone’s shoulder when words were not enough.
Our hands carry part of our story. They can also help us remember a simple prayer:
Take me. Love me. Wash me. Fill me. Use me.
Five fingers. Five prayers. One life placed in the hands of God.
Take Me and Love Me
Titus 3:4–8 begins with the goodness and loving kindness of God. It reminds us that we are saved not because we have done everything right, but because God is merciful.
Our prayer begins with “Take me.”
Take me as I am, Lord—with my gifts and questions, my hope and weariness, my faith and uncertainty. God does not wait for a polished, finished version of us. God meets us here and begins the patient work of shaping who we are becoming.
Then we pray, “Love me.”
This is not an attempt to persuade a reluctant God to care. It is an opening of our hearts to the love God is already giving.
We can become so accustomed to working, helping and meeting expectations that we forget how to receive. Yet a faithful life cannot be lived entirely at the pace of urgency. We need moments when we stop striving and remember that we are loved before we accomplish anything.
Wash Me and Fill Me
Titus speaks of rebirth and renewal through the Holy Spirit. God receives us as we are, but grace does not leave us unchanged.
“Wash me” means bringing our failures, regrets, resentments and wounded places into God’s mercy.
Forgiveness does not mean pretending that harm never happened or allowing harmful behaviour to continue. It means refusing to let yesterday’s pain control tomorrow. God’s grace washes away what keeps us trapped and opens the possibility of a new beginning.
Then we pray, “Fill me.”
Fill me with patience when I am frustrated. Fill me with courage when I am afraid. Fill me with compassion when I am tempted to judge. Fill me with hope when the way ahead is uncertain.
The Spirit also fills the ordinary gifts already present in our lives. Baking can become hospitality. Music can become prayer. A telephone call can become pastoral care. Patient listening can become a place of healing. A handmade gift can become encouragement.
When offered in love, ordinary gifts become ministry.
Use Me
Titus encourages those who trust in God to devote themselves to good works. Notice that good works come after grace.
We do not serve so God will love us. We serve because God already loves us.
“Use me” means making ourselves available to God.
Use my voice to encourage. Use my ears to listen. Use my table to welcome. Use my gifts to strengthen the community. Use my hands to make Christ’s love visible.
Being used by God does not always require something dramatic. Sometimes it means noticing who is missing, who is sitting alone or who is carrying a burden. It may mean making a telephone call, delivering a meal, offering a ride or listening without rushing to provide an answer.
It may mean doing justice, loving kindness and walking humbly with God.
One Open Hand
Throughout August, we explored our Purpose, Pace, Passion and Practice as people of faith.
Now those themes can be held together in one open hand:
Take me—my purpose begins in belonging to God.
Love me—I can rest and grow at a faithful pace.
Wash me—I need mercy, forgiveness and a new beginning.
Fill me—the Spirit awakens my gifts and passions.
Use me—faith becomes real when love is put into practice.
This is not only an individual prayer. It is also a prayer for the Church:
Take us, Lord. Love us. Wash us. Fill us. Use us.
Take our congregations and remind us why we are here. Love us through seasons of growth and uncertainty. Wash away old resentments and divisions. Fill us with compassion, courage and hope. Use us so our communities experience the welcome and love of Christ through us.
The Church is a people held in the hands of God, offering our hands in service to the world.
This week, begin each morning by opening your hand and praying:
Take me. Love me. Wash me. Fill me. Use me.
Then watch for the person God places in your path, the gift God invites you to offer and the opportunity to practise kindness.
Place your life in God’s hands—and allow God to place Christ’s love in yours.
Rev. Pastor Barb aka Grannie Doll
Your Invitation This Week
Begin each morning by opening your hand and praying:
Take me. Love me. Wash me. Fill me. Use me.
Then choose one simple way to put that prayer into practice. Encourage someone, listen patiently, share what you have or offer a helping hand.
At the end of the day, ask yourself:
Where did I receive God’s love today—and where did I pass it on?
Part of my drive to keep things moving forward—and to feel productive—is to find something else to do whenever I hit a roadblock.
Do you ever hit those roadblocks?
Watch to see how I managed my old ipad.
Earlier this week, I was working on my sermon and found myself completely stuck. I kept asking:
Where am I going with this? Will it connect with anyone? Where will people see themselves in this story?
Those are important questions because a sermon is more than words on a page. It needs to meet us somewhere in the middle of our real lives. It needs to help us recognize where God is already at work.
I think I finally figured it out—but you’ll have to join me on Sunday to hear where the story led!
Over the past few weeks, we’ve been exploring three important parts of our life together as the church:
Our purpose as the church
The pace at which we live and grow spiritually
The passions and gifts God has placed within us
This Sunday, we’ll focus on that third word: passion.
What moves us? What brings us joy? What abilities, interests and experiences do we have that God might use?
We’ll explore this through three simple movements.
Recognize the Gift
Sometimes we overlook our gifts because they seem too ordinary. We may not think of baking, gardening, knitting, repairing things, organizing, listening or offering hospitality as spiritual gifts.
Yet God often begins with what is already in our hands.
Recognizing our gifts means paying attention to what gives us joy, what comes naturally to us and what others have noticed within us.
Offer the Gift
A gift becomes even more meaningful when it is shared.
That may mean offering something we have made, but it can also mean giving our time, our attention or our presence. Sometimes the most important gift we offer is simply ourselves—the willingness to sit beside someone, listen to their story or help carry a burden.
Connect the Gift
Finally, we’ll consider how our individual gifts connect us with the wider life and work of the church.
We don’t all have the same abilities, interests or passions—and that is a wonderful thing. When each person brings what they have, our separate gifts become part of something larger. Together, they help the church worship, serve, care and reach beyond its walls.
If you’d like to hear how it all comes together, I invite you to join us this Sunday:
9:30 a.m. at Linden Park United Community Church on Hamilton Mountain 11:00 a.m. at Binbrook United Church
The 9:30 service will also be livestreamed on Facebook. I hope to share it on YouTube afterward as well—provided my iPad agrees to cooperate!
For now, I still have today and tomorrow to finish preparing for Sunday. And perhaps that is the lesson within the lesson: when we reach a roadblock, we don’t always need to push harder. Sometimes we need to pause, do something else and allow the next step to reveal itself.
Whatever gift or passion you have to offer the world, I hope you feel free to share it. It may seem small or ordinary to you, but in God’s hands, even the simplest gift can become part of something beautiful.
Have a wonderful day, and God bless.
From Pastor Barb to you—bye for now.
And for those who follow me on YouTube, I’m Doll from Doll Can Create.
When I think of grace I often think of roses. Beauty and thorns in one place. A simple rhythm that creates beauty.
There are seasons in life when the rhythm slips away.
The routines that once steadied us fall quietly to the side. The body feels heavy. The spirit feels worn thin. Joy, once familiar, feels distant.
I have found myself in such a season.
Not lost. Not without faith. But weary.
And when weariness settles deep in the body, even simple things can feel like mountains.
So instead of trying to “get back on track,” I am learning to return to grace.
Not with rigid schedules. Not with long to-do lists. But with a gentle daily rhythm.
A rhythm that holds rather than demands. A rhythm that restores rather than drains. A rhythm spacious enough for grace to enter.
If you, too, feel overwhelmed, perhaps this soft rhythm might bless your days.
Morning: Receive the Day
Instead of rushing into the day, I am learning to begin softly.
I light the Christ candle. I whisper, This day is grace. I hold a warm mug between my hands. I take three slow breaths. I look out the window and greet the sky.
This is not productivity.
This is receiving the day as a gift.
Mid-Morning: Begin Gently
Rather than tackling everything, I choose one small beginning:
tidying one small surface, answering one important message, preparing something nourishing, or knitting a few quiet rows.
Stopping before exhaustion is not laziness.
It is wisdom.
Midday: Ground the Body
When the nervous system is overwhelmed, the body needs grounding.
I try to eat something nourishing. I step outside, even for a moment. I feel the air on my face. I release my shoulders. I breathe slowly.
Sometimes grace looks like standing in winter air and remembering you are alive.
Afternoon: Create & Tend
This is the hour for gentle tending.
Knitting. Spinning. Folding laundry slowly. Watering plants. Decluttering one small space. Writing a list of blessings.
Not productivity.
Tending.
There is holiness in small care.
Late Afternoon: Soften the Day
Energy dips here, so gentleness matters.
I start supper simply. Soft music or a hymn plays in the background. Overhead lights dim. I pause before eating in gratitude.
The day begins to exhale.
Evening: Return to Quiet
The world grows loud. I choose softness instead.
Screens go dark early. Hands return to yarn or a good book. Three blessings are written. Tea warms the hands. Prayer settles the heart.
And I whisper:
Enough was done. I am held.
Night: Protect Rest
Rest is healing work.
Warm socks. Slow breathing. Releasing tomorrow.
Sleep is not escape.
Sleep is repair.
When the Day Falls Apart
Some days do.
On those days, I return to one anchor:
light the candle, step outside, touch the yarn, take one slow breath.
That is enough.
Grace does not require perfection. Grace meets us in beginning again.
A Gentle Word for Weary Hearts
You are not failing.
You are human. You are carrying much. You are living through heavy days. You are navigating health, change, and responsibility.
Grace meets you there.
Not when you are strong.
When you are honest.
A Blessing for the Rhythm of Your Days
May grace meet you in the morning light. May peace steady your breathing. May your hands find calm in gentle work. May rest restore what weariness has taken. And may you remember, dear heart —
you are held.
Light a candle tonight. Wrap yourself in warmth. Breathe slowly. Tomorrow will come gently.
There is something quietly honest about an empty jar.
It doesn’t shout. It doesn’t accuse. It simply waits—holding the truth of what is missing.
In the Gospel story of the wedding at Cana, the jars are empty. The celebration is still going, the guests are gathered, laughter and conversation fill the room—but something essential has run out. The wine is gone.
We know this moment well.
There are times in life when everything looks fine on the outside, yet inside we sense a quiet emptiness. Energy fades. Joy thins. Hope feels harder to reach. These moments don’t always arrive with drama. Often, they come quietly, almost unnoticed—until suddenly we realize that what once sustained us is no longer there.
This is where the story begins.
Mary notices the emptiness. She doesn’t deny it or rush to fix it herself. She names it and brings it to Jesus: “They have no wine.” It’s a simple sentence, but it carries deep truth. Naming what is empty is an act of trust.
Mary does not tell Jesus what to do. She simply turns to the servants and says, “Do whatever he tells you.”
And Jesus looks at the jars.
Not new jars. Not special jars. But heavy, stone jars—ordinary vessels used for washing, sitting empty where they are.
Jesus does not discard them. He does not shame them for being empty. He does not say, “You should have planned better.”
Instead, he asks that they be filled—with water.
That detail matters.
Jesus works with what is already present. He does not wait for something extraordinary. He takes the ordinary, the available, the offered—and grace happens somewhere between the filling and the pouring.
The water becomes wine. And not just any wine, but good wine. Abundant wine. More than enough.
Six jars. Each holding twenty or thirty gallons.
This is not barely-enough grace. This is overflowing grace.
And almost no one notices.
The guests drink. The steward is confused. The celebration continues. Only the servants—the ones who carried the water—know what really happened.
Isn’t that often how God works?
Quietly. Gently. Without fanfare. Transformation happens while we are doing the faithful, ordinary work of showing up. Of filling jars we’re not sure will ever hold anything more than water.
This story tells us something essential about Jesus.
His first sign is not about power or spectacle. It is about care.
He begins his ministry not in a holy place, but at a wedding. Not with a sermon, but with an act of kindness. He honors joy. He saves a celebration. He refuses to let embarrassment or scarcity have the final word.
And perhaps most importantly, this story reminds us that emptiness is not the end.
Empty jars are not failures. They are invitations.
Invitations to trust. Invitations to bring what we have, not what we wish we had. Invitations to believe that God can still work in our ordinary lives.
There are seasons when we feel like those jars.
Jars once filled with energy, now holding weariness. Jars once filled with certainty, now holding questions. Jars once filled with joy, now holding grief.
The good news is this: Jesus does not turn away from empty jars.
He asks only that we place them before him.
Fill them with what you have. Offer what feels ordinary. Trust that grace can still surprise you.
Because in God’s economy, the best wine often comes later.
n Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, we find a reminder that feels especially timely for us today. The people of Corinth were arguing about which leader they followed—some claimed Paul, others Apollos. Their attention was divided, and Paul gently brought them back to center:
“What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow.”
Paul isn’t diminishing the value of human effort. He’s showing us that every act of service is sacred when rooted in God’s purpose. We each have a role—some plant, some water—but it is God who makes things grow.
We Are Co-Workers in God’s Field
How freeing it is to remember that we don’t carry the full weight of outcomes! We are workers together with God, not competitors for His attention. We are teaching a Sunday school class, knitting for charity, or visiting a neighbour. Praying quietly at home, we are each tending a small part of God’s garden. Each action contributes to His creation.
Our job is to show up faithfully. God’s job is to bring the growth.
Christ Is the Only Foundation
Paul goes on to say:
“No one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.”
It’s tempting to build our faith on people, traditions, or good works—but those things shift and crumble. Christ alone is the steady ground beneath our feet. If we build on Him, what we create will endure. Our words, our acts of love, and our ministries will stand. They will stay strong even when life’s fires test them.
What Are We Building With?
Paul writes that the quality of each person’s work will be revealed. Some build with gold and precious stones—acts of love, patience, kindness, and faithfulness. Others build with straw—pride, comparison, or self-interest.
So we ask ourselves: What materials am I using in my life of faith? Are my choices rooted in the eternal or the temporary?
Every day is another chance to build with care, to strengthen what lasts, and to remember who holds the blueprint.
A Prayer to Close
Gracious and Loving God, Thank You for reminding us that You are our foundation. Teach us to build with care, to serve with humility, and to love with steadfast hearts. May our lives reflect Your grace and our works stand firm in Christ. Amen.
Final Reflection
As you go through your week, look around your “field.” Who might need a seed of kindness? Where can you pour a little water of encouragement? Trust that God will take it from there—and make something beautiful grow. 🌿
If this reflection spoke to you, share it with a friend who needs encouragement. If you’d like printable Bible study pages for your own quiet time, you can join my Sunday Journal Circle. It’s a gentle space for faith. It’s a place for reflection and community.
It’s reading week, and I’m beginning with three very different books — each chosen with intention and heart.
My cozy reading table this week — a balance of study, reflection, and rest.
The first is The Principles of Economics: Economic Directives from a Biblical Viewpoint. It’s helping me think through budgeting and stewardship in a faith-centered way. The second is Our Christian Reflections on Death and New Life by Henri Nouwen. This book draws me deeper into spiritual reflection. It also encourages renewal. And finally, I’ve chosen A Searching Heart by Janet Oke. This novel offers the comfort of a familiar Christian voice. It also gives the simple joy of story.
In this trio, I’ve found a balance: one for the mind, one for the soul, and one for rest. Economics, theology, and fiction — all working together to nourish different parts of my life.
Learning and Reflection
My goal this week is simple: to learn. I’ll be reading The Principles of Economics as a Bible study. Each section includes scripture, discussion questions, and reflection prompts. I’m already imagining how this can one day form the basis of a small group study or online discussion series.
The scripture on the opening page reads, “Lay up your treasures in heaven.” That alone sets the tone. Although this book was printed back in 2013 by the Eastern Mennonite Press in Pennsylvania, truth doesn’t age. The principles of faith and finance stay as relevant today as ever.
When I finish, I plan to write a short reflection. I want to capture what I’ve learned. I will also consider how it can shape my ministry.
Theological Growth and Spiritual Nourishment
Henri Nouwen’s Reflections on Death and New Life is where I’ll spend time in theological reflection. I want to see what stands out as I walk through it. I want to understand how it speaks to change, loss, and renewal in my own life. I am also curious about its impact on my ministry.
This isn’t just academic reading. It’s a conversation between faith and life — between God’s promises and my daily realities. It’s also a prompt read as we move toward Advent, a season that holds both waiting and wonder.
Rest, Relaxation, and Renewal
And then there’s A Searching Heart — my “just for me” book. I don’t always make time for fiction. Still, Janet Oke’s gentle storytelling reminds me to slow down. It encourages me to breathe and rest in the beauty of faith-filled simplicity. Sometimes, we read not to learn, but to be restored.
Why Ministers Need Reading Weeks
In ministry, we’re encouraged to take time each year for continuing education. We have three weeks set apart for growth, learning, and renewal. This reading week is part of that rhythm for me. It’s also a chance to plan ahead. It’s a time to think about Advent themes. It allows me to refill the spiritual well that ministry can so quickly drain.
Not every week of growth has to involve travel or coursework. Sometimes, it looks like a quiet corner and a warm mug. It also includes a stack of books that stretch your heart and mind.
I call that self-ministry. It is a week where you nourish your body and soul. Do this in ways that have been neglected in the busy seasons of service.
Closing Reflection
So, this week I’ll be learning, reflecting, and resting — all at once. I’ll let these books speak to different parts of my life. I trust that in their pages I’ll find wisdom. I’ll also find challenge and peace.
As you step into your own rhythm this week, it is time to pick up a book. Choose one that speaks to your soul. Whether it’s something practical, something prayerful, or simply a story that brings rest — make space for learning. Allow time for reflection and renewal.
I’d love to hear what you’re reading this season. Share your favorite faith-filled or comforting book in the comments below. Let’s inspire one another to keep growing in wisdom and grace.
“Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven…” — Matthew 6:20
With a cozy mug in hand and gratitude in my heart, — Pastor Barb aka Grannie Doll 🤍 “Creating calm, crafting faith, and cherishing the simple life.”
