“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted, and saves the crushed in spirit.” -Psalm 34:18 (NRSV)

Close to this day in 1531, ten years after the Spanish had overthrown the Aztec empire and imposed foreign rule and religion, an Indigenous man whose Spanish name was Juan Diego, was on his way to Mass one morning when he had a vision. The vision repeated itself two more times, and in each one, the Virgin Mary, speaking tenderly in his own tongue, sent him to the Spanish bishop to ask for a shrine to her honor on the top of Mt. Tepeyac, that had been sacred to the goddess of hearth and fertility in Aztec times. Finally, after a miracle of roses in December and an image on a garment, the Bishop’s heart is converted, and on this day, December 12th, the shrine is ordered. The vision has put the conquered and oppressed Indian in charge in a very different kind of conquest. It is the beginning of the emergence of a new kind of spirituality, one that blends aspects of the ancient ways with those of the new conquerors. Juan Diego is saved.

As I watch what is happening in the world today, I see the same kind of very different conquest going on. I see increasing numbers of commercials featuring people of color. I hear more confident use of languages other than English in the streets. Some of the commercials merely put people of color in positions normally occupied by whites. Some of them reflect cultural values and practices that are decidedly not white. Guadalupe reminds me that these changes can be redemptive if I will look for them. This is what is saving me this Advent.

Loving God, remind us that social changes do not change your love for all your children. Give us the strength to love as you love, each for the people they are, and all for the rainbow colors of culture that they create as they refract your image in the world. Show us our place in this emerging human family, and we will take it up, grateful for the company of those who differ from us most, through Jesus Christ your Son, who by the power of the Holy Spirit, taught us what your love looks like. Amen.
-Fr. Paul Moore

“Incline your ear to me; rescue me speedily. Be a rock of refuge for me, a strong fortress to save me.” -Psalm 31:2 (NRSV)

For the last three weeks, I have been spending a few hours each evening sprawled on a fleece blanket on the floor of the guest room in the dark. Why, you ask? Well, we adopted a beautiful tabby cat named Doc when my parents’ elderly tabby Jethro passed away, and Doc is a bit of a scaredy cat. We can hardly blame him as he is adjusting to his new home, and my mom and I had to pull him out from under the guest bed daily to medicate him for the first few days that he was home. My mother has gotten him to be affectionate with her by bribing him with cat treats, but he tends to be leery of me.

I have discovered a secret about him though: he goes absolutely insane with a laser pointer. It has become our bonding activity to play with it during my time on the guest room floor. I have been able to get him to come out from under the guest bed into the middle of the room, and he does just fine until he realizes that I can see him. At first, he will flee behind an afghan on the floor (which doesn’t cover him, but it’s still very funny), and he will get more comfortable with me as the evening progresses. He has also gotten comfortable enough with me that he will roll around on the floor under the guest bed and be silly. I will be playing Words with Friends on my phone and look under the bed to find him six inches away looking at me upside down. During his more playful times, he will bat my feet with his sharp little paws.

This is saving me right now because it is unspeakably wonderful to watch Doc come out of his shell. He has the cutest little squeak for a meow, and his eyes are so soulful. It makes me smile to see him being silly and not completely terrified. He finally let me pet and scritch him a few days ago, and we finally took the risk of introducing my bratty black cat Minion to him. Thankfully, the two of them hit it off, and we are looking forward to watching them become buddies.

Lord, thank you for kitty cats and the joy they bring to our lives. Amen.
-Jen McCabe

“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” -Psalm 27:1 (NRSV)

What is saving my life now? I think being part of the community of believers is such an important part of feeling “fairly normal” in COVID times when many people live in fear. “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?” In this era of technology, there are so many ways that we can still communicate with each other and support each other. Of course, nothing replaces that hug from a friend! But we can phone, email, participate in a Zoom meeting or FaceTime, etc. We can write that cheery card of encouragement to a shut-in friend. We can drop off a treat or something we baked to a member of our pod.

As a member of the Stewardship Committee, last year we decided to try having small groups as a way of bringing the church community together during COVID-19. I host our group that meets on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of the month at 7:00 PM via Zoom. It has been an excellent opportunity to get to know members of St. Paul’s on a more intimate basis. Also, we have supported each other during times of health issues, traveling across the country, and other concerns. That time at the end of the hour when we share concerns and prayer requests has become an essential part of our time together. It is wonderful to have the support of the group.

I am so thankful for the opportunity to be involved in other non-profits. It is so important to spend time helping others and therefore moving the focus from our fears and concerns to making a difference in people’s lives. How rewarding that has been for me!

Lord, help me to look for opportunities to reach out to others and share Your love with others. Thank you for the support of the community of faith here at St. Paul’s. Amen.
-Marilyn Allen

“Lead me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all day long.” -Psalm 25:5 (NRSV)

The pandemic put a stop to many things that I had previously considered to be essential in my life. One of the things I have missed the most has been participating in St. Paul’s Choir. Singing in a church choir is an offering to God and the congregation. It is also a gift to the singer. There is something very special when a disparate group of individuals comes together and combines voices to create something new. The synchronization of breathing together, entering on the proper note, and ending together requires practice – together. It is the ultimate bumper sticker moment: Those who sing, pray twice.

What God has taught me is to appreciate the opportunity to learn the new skill of electronically combining the videos faithfully recorded by David and members of the choir into a virtual anthem. I knew the capability existed and had admired the work of others. But little did I know that the necessary software was already on my computer and detailed instructions could be found on YouTube!

God has taught me many things as I have struggled to replicate the synchronization that comes so naturally when practicing in person. Being a teacher and a mother taught me a lot about patience – but learning this new skill required Patience with a capital “P.” We and I have improved (mostly) in our offerings, but there is much still to learn.

My hope is that the level of contagion will soon subside enough to begin to practice and sing in person. In the meantime, I thank God for the faithfulness of David and the choir members as we work together to continue to contribute to the worship experience.

Thank you, God, for teaching me new things, even when I don’t necessarily want to learn them. Be with all those who have suffered illness and loss during this pandemic and keep us ever grateful for the opportunity to sing your praises – in person and virtually. Amen.
-Cathey Frederick

“To you they cried, and were saved; in you they trusted, and were not put to shame.” -Psalm 22:5 (NRSV)

Sometimes we make poor choices. Once, against my better judgment, I attempted to fix a leaky roof. By myself. Without a rope. The roof was aluminum. When the rain started, the steep roof immediately became slippery. As I slid off the roof. I said, “Oh God!”

The landing came quickly and painfully. I broke some bones in my back and a wrist. Someone spotted me – saved! – and though I was helpless and hurting for real, everything fell into place for my care and mending.

Jesus advises us, “When you are praying, don’t heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do.” (Mt. 6:7.)

I learned that a very brief prayer – “Oh, God!” – uttered in sincerity, has power that matches the psalmist’s, for all its eloquence. In every time, in every place, simple and direct prayer is enough. If the artist in oneself carefully crafts psalms of our own hearts, that too keeps us connected to the God who loves to hear from us.

Be with us now and always.
Oh, God!
-Tom Worrell

“The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” -Psalm 18:2 (NRSV)

The past 18 months of COVID-19 have been trying, locked away in our homes. I am so grateful that I live in such a beautiful place as the Northwest where I can enjoy the beauty of nature given to us by God. We spent many a weekend on our boat, anchored in a cove, sometimes the only boat in that cove. Just appreciating the majesty of the mountains, the gentle rocking of the boat, the wildlife, made me feel centered again. I took my refuge in nature and felt renewed to be able to go back home to deal with the challenges of the next week.

Think of those who live in a tiny apartment in a high rise in cities across the US. Imagine how they must have felt trapped in that apartment building with high rises all around them, especially during the time of COVID! We have a greenbelt bordering our backyard, so we have deer coming through our yard following the trails blazed centuries before we built here. We never tire of seeing the fawns frolic across the lawn, the bucks doing their dance in the fall rutting season, the does taking care of their fawns. The deer fence around our garden keeps the deer from munching on those tender leaves of new growth.

I started working part-time in Anacortes in the summer of 2019. When COVID hit in early 2020, we all had to start working from home. So that meant I went into Anacortes twice a week to get checks signed and pick up my paperwork. My employer allowed me to work from home permanently when it was time to return to the office. That has given me so much flexibility to be able to get away on the weekends to enjoy nature and fit in my other commitments.

Lord, thank you for the way You provide a refuge when we need it most. Thank you for all the blessings of living in the Pacific Northwest. Amen.
-Marilyn Allen