Arise Blog

The Coffee Shop: Peculiar
Devotional Melanie Nixon Devotional Melanie Nixon

The Coffee Shop: Peculiar

God invites us where we are.

On a recent Sunday afternoon, my grandson was over at our house, and he remembered hiding Easter eggs several months ago in the backyard. He asked to hunt eggs like at Easter time. I was delighted he had enjoyed the egg hunt so much to ask for it again. This was good timing, I had two hard boiled eggs I made the day before in the refrigerator. I smiled and said, “What a fun idea!” “I’ll go get the eggs and you stay inside to wait until…

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POETRY. New Wineskins
Resting Melanie Nixon Resting Melanie Nixon

POETRY. New Wineskins

Poetry. Imagination. New and old.

In the poem “wineskins” there is a bold offering to pay attention to new and old.

God Speaks Through Wombs by Drew Jackson “Wineskins” (94)

Each of the poem’s lines call out something is happening.

There is loss and letting go. We struggle with this. Yet what is invited is space, for making more room. The invitation is “organic reaction.”

When looking at the parable this poem is derived from Parable of the Wineskin, we see Jesus begins by giving us a hint at wine-making. He talks about wine making to engage his listeners into wonder and understanding of something deeper.

Let’s listen in to some of the wine making process. His listeners would have known…

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Dwelling places: Holding contradictions
Reflection Melanie Nixon Reflection Melanie Nixon

Dwelling places: Holding contradictions

Praying in the midst of…

Storm and calm. Peace and chaos. Fear and courage.

Have you ever felt or experienced trying to pray but your thoughts and prayers are met with contrasts, distractions, or unclear direction?

We can probably all say yes to this feeling, and experience, and throw our hands up, maybe even quit. So how do we hold these in prayer? From my own experience, there is a tension to have to choose one or the other. Do we have to choose?…

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