Curious girl

Just an update of our curious little George(ette) :) She loves buttons and electronics, so the camera is especially enticing. She is now 10 months old, not quite yet crawling but getting closer to greater mobility! She sure is lots of fun--amazing how games like peek-a-boo never really grow old...

Gazing on the Trinity Icon

During Lent our church is reading through a book called 'The Kingdom and The Cross' by James Bryan Smith. Each chapter has what the author calls a 'soul training' activity, in which we are challenged to go deeper in our understanding of who God is and what Christ's work on the cross has accomplished.

This week the soul training exercise is to look at the Trinity icon, which is a famous 13th century icon of the Trinity by Russian iconographer Rublev. The colours and imagery in the icon all have significance, which is interesting to reflect upon. In the Trinity there is unity - the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit live in submission and sacrifice to each other. All three members of the Trinity are huddled together, like three people working closely on a project. The project is the reconciliation of the world.

It is also interesting that everything is pointing to the centre of the table, where the chalice sits. The chalice represents the 'cup' that Jesus chose to endure - his suffering and self-sacrifice. It also represents the chalice used in the Eucharist. When we gather to take Communion, we remember the sacrifice of Jesus.

As complex as the idea of the Trinity might be, this icon helps me to see that the Trinity is a community of love, submission, and sacrifice. My own selfishness and pride so often get in the way of being loving, submissive, and sacrificial. This week my desire is to think and act upon the example of the Trinity--to be more loving, sacrificing, and to live and work in unity with those around me.

all things new

This prayer was an encouragement to me this morning, a reminder that Jesus is daily renewing us and transforming us...

Almighty God, in Christ you make all things new: transform the poverty of our nature by the riches of your grace, and in the renewal of our lives make known your heavenly glory, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Kat in action

These videos are mostly for the enjoyment of family members who don't get to see Katerina too often...but hope you all enjoy them!

what do you love about Jesus?

I recently read the book 'Organic God' by Margaret Feinberg and appreciated her thoughtful insights about who God is and how we relate to him. She looked at how we can get rid of the unhealthy pollutants and additives of the world and purify our relationship with God.

She shared a story about a friend of hers who once asked her the question, 'What do you love about Jesus?' She said, 'His words took my breath away. I had never heard somthing so simple but soul penetrating. Some say that love has no agenda, but...I have come to believe that love is the agenda.'

It is indeed a simple, yet thought provoking question...what do you love about Jesus? I love that Jesus is full of suprises. He doesn't do things like we expect him to. This week at our Wednesday morning communion service we were reading the Gospel of Matthew where in chapter 8 Jesus cleansed a leper and healed the centurion's servant. In both of these acts of Jesus' ministry, he didn't do what was expected. To even come near a leper was unthinkable, and yet Jesus reached out and touched him, and he was healed.

The centurion was a Gentile, not one of the 'in crowd' so to speak. Yet he had great faith and knew that by the authority of Jesus' word, his servant could be healed. And he was, at the very moment that Jesus spoke. Jesus 'should' have been keeping himself clean and ministering to the right people, but he didn't do what we expected him to do.

In our limited, human thinking we are always surprised by what Jesus does. And often we're not very happy about it, but Jesus simply says - 'I have come to do the Father's will.' That's what I love about Jesus...that in his great love for the world, he acts and ministers in the will of God, even when it doesn't make sense to us. His love goes beyond my understanding, yet I know that his love is what has forgiven me, saved me, and stays with me each day as I seek to follow him.

What do you love about Jesus?