Skip to main content

Julian of Norwich

From Rachel Matthews:

Today we read about Julian of Norwich, one of my favorite anchoresses. Tuesdays have been wonderful reflection points but today I find myself with not much to say. Things that I have put off since we moved here are looming over me. I turned down a wonderful gift of hospitality last night to be with the Monday Munchers. That made me sad but I did get some stuff done I really need to do. Mornings that are stressful are exactly when I am most grateful for the discipline that nudges me to sit and think and pray just for 10 minutes. The rush of life needs Julians who will listen and offer a prayer and word of guidance. I need Julian of Norwich to say to me, "All will be well, all manner of things will be well." She lived it.

What strikes me most this morning about her is that she was there at a calling of God but she was not there alone. There were political structures that approved and encouraged and paid for her well being in that little house, the church structures which the society revolved around. Her being there was necessary. As oppressive as some of those structures were and as oppressive as Julian's call seems to be, her being there was a gift that has lived on for centuries. So I receive her small gift of hospitality given in the midst of struggle. A gift of hospitality like this even if it is a word written down or the sharing of why you feel led to do what you do to another person can make a huge impact in someone else's life. Thank you, Julian, for your encouragement, for reminding me of what is important and what is not, for reminding me to not be afraid, just love.

Comments

  1. JudiMarch 13, 2018 at 3:44 PM

    Thank you for the gift of sharing with us on Tuesdays. I so look forward to hearing what you are thinking. Be not afraid, or in the words of Julian:
    “All shall be well, and all shall be well and all manner of thing shall be well.”
    “The greatest honor we can give Almighty God is to live gladly because of the knowledge of his love.”
    “God, of your goodness, give me yourself; you are enough for me, and anything less that I could ask for would not do you full honor. And if I ask anything that is less, I shall always lack something, but in you alone I have everything'.”
    ― Julian of Norwich

    ReplyDelete
  2. pmyMarch 13, 2018 at 7:39 PM

    Thank you for sharing. I was reminded of the story of Elijah in 1 Kings. He was tired, frightened, hiding in the cave, yet he was not alone. An angel came to minister to him. There were other incidents that God (or His angels) came to him. Even when he thought he was alone, he was never really alone.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Holy Saturday

From Rachel Matthews - Today I have been chopping, measuring, mixing, cooking, mixing some more, kneading, baking, waiting, waiting, tasting, arranging, cleaning, preparing.....and preparing....for guests. It is what you do at a funeral. Either you are preparing to serve and comfort the bereaved or, as the bereaved, you are preparing to receive the community, the family, the loved ones to walk with you to the grave and back again. Holy Saturday feels like the days before a funeral. Suspended between death and life, you just carry on. You work, as usual, but not. That's what the women who loved the Rabbi were doing: preparing the spices, arranging the body (Christ's body), wrapping, loving and weeping, and waiting, and waiting and preparing....for guests. I am giddy thinking about the surprise that awaited them - the Guest!! And, I am giddy waiting for our guests to come to our home. My boys won't be here, so there is grief. I miss them so much. But, the new Amer...
Post a Comment
Read more

Good Friday: We Don't Know What We're Doing

From Eric Corbin... As I write, I have just returned from the joint Good Friday service with First Methodist Church.  Their pastor read from Luke's account of the crucifixion of Jesus, ending at verse 34 of chapter 23: "Then Jesus said, 'Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.'"  We also heard a wonderful soloist sing from "Sweet Little Jesus Boy" the haunting words "We didn't know it was you." I'm reminded of this meme: I think we all feel that way sometimes, maybe often.  We don't know what we're doing in our families, our jobs, in our churches.  On this day, though, we must reflect specifically on the cross and our role in Jesus' death; on how we don't know what we're doing when it comes to Jesus. "Sweet Little Jesus Boy" continues: You have shown us how And we are trying Master you have shown us how Even when you were dying Just seems like we can't do right Lo...
Post a Comment
Read more

Friday Fast #1

A note up front: in writing this post, I'm not able to follow the author's instruction to not reveal your fast to others. Today, we begin the first of the Friday Fasts the author describes.  When I read the subtitle, "Drink Only Water (Eat as Usual), I thought I'd have no troubles with this one!  Most days I do drink only water.  I rarely drink coffee or other hot drinks, and almost every meal is accompanied by a glass of water.  Each day, I carry around my First Pres water bottle with, you guessed it, just water in it.   So, no problem for me.  I'll get "credit" for this fast without even trying!  Then I read further and found this instruction: "Drink only water, without ice and without flavoring. Hot or warm water is okay."  Darn.  I love  ice water, the colder the better.  I'm supposed to drink warm or even hot water?  Not my cup of, er, water...but I'm going to do it today.  I'm going to focus on the big questio...
Post a Comment
Read more