We have so many things on the table in our community and in our country. We are divided but the Good News is we can change.

We know at a deep level when someone sees us, and it changes us. It is a blessing to truly be seen.

It takes time for a new idea to take hold. It took time for people to realize that the earth is not the center of the universe. It takes time to see with new eyes. It takes time for humanity to realize how much we need each other and how sacred all of creation is. It takes time for justice to take root.

Good friends help us find our balance, our center, our way in life. They remind us of who we are.

Is there a spirituality for the rest of us who are not secluded in a monastery, who don’t have it all together and probably never will?

How do we turn our cups upwards to catch the grace that God showers on us?

Grief and death are universal experiences we all share. They move across cultures, races, and every demographic in our societies. The sting of death can tear us apart with anger, resentment, and bitterness, and the pain of death can draw us together in love, compassion, and empathy.

What is going on inside of us that influences or colors how we see people and the world? The answer requires a lot of prayer, grace, and introspection on our part.

May we help bring “liberty to those who are oppressed.”

May we move in the Spirit of God’s Peace.

May there be liberty and justice for all.

May “justice roll down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

May all mean all.

Can anyone pronounce a blessing? What is a blessing? Which things do we agree to bless, and which things do we decline to bless? Who/what does Jesus bless? Hint: God makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous (see Matthew 5:45).