tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-115586222009-04-19T14:53:35.297-07:00Reflections and "sightings" of the King in the midstpaula gamblehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01370479487485944750noreply@blogger.comBlogger116125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11558622.post-54542107747178743072009-04-19T14:31:00.000-07:002009-04-19T14:53:33.348-07:00

paula gamblehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01370479487485944750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11558622.post-47942863844953293052009-04-10T13:59:00.000-07:002009-04-10T14:02:28.662-07:00

Here is a link to a previous reflection on Good Friday that I wrote 3 years ago.In Hindsight, It's Good Fridaywww.paulagamble.com

paula gamblehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01370479487485944750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11558622.post-73076993143215211352009-04-10T13:05:00.000-07:002009-04-10T13:31:35.253-07:00

A Responsive Reading: NARRATOR: Two others, also, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with Jesus. And when they came to the place which is called Golgotha (The Skull), there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on the right and one on the left. And Jesus said, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." And they cast lots to divide his garments.

paula gamblehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01370479487485944750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11558622.post-84294299654517833322009-03-25T12:55:00.000-07:002009-03-25T15:14:26.490-07:00

I know, I know, you're thinking that we're in Lent - we're going to celebrate Easter in a few weeks, why are you talking about Christmas? Because today is 9 months before Dec 25th - traditionally the day celebrating the Annunciation of the angel Gabriel telling Mary she would conceive as a virgin the Son of the Most High!Whoa - I cannot even fathom this!9 months - that's a lot of waiting! And a

paula gamblehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01370479487485944750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11558622.post-3933969185609791402009-03-09T17:08:00.000-07:002009-03-09T17:19:38.470-07:00

"The gospel confession of sin is the most generous, secure, adventurous expression of the human heart. It is the risk that is only taken in the certainty of being acceptable and accepted. It is the full and final expression of that confidence. Only to your lover do you expose your worst. To an amazed world Jesus presents a God who calls for this confession only so that he may reveal himself in a

paula gamblehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01370479487485944750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11558622.post-2165954452524415712009-03-02T13:35:00.000-08:002009-03-02T15:22:38.719-08:00

Look at this picture - what do you see and notice?Then read the story in Luke 7:36-50.Jesus is at the home of a Pharisee - you know, those ones that are all suave and seemingly put together on the outside, but resemble a white-washed tomb? The ones whose lips ooze pious religious phrases that sound perfect and pedantic, but whose hearts are a million miles away. The Pharisees who did much for

paula gamblehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01370479487485944750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11558622.post-67550416030819747532009-02-26T22:21:00.000-08:002009-02-26T22:29:31.286-08:00

If you're interested in receiving daily Lent emails from Church Resource Ministries (the parent ministry I'm a part of) go to www.crmleaders.org/lent and sign up anytime between Feb 25 and April 12th.Peace and Good~paulawww.paulagamble.com

paula gamblehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01370479487485944750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11558622.post-53501733885525421842009-02-26T21:00:00.001-08:002009-02-28T07:37:51.149-08:00

In the same way that I do not prefer to "remember" morbid thoughts like my finitude and the atrocious and brutal death of Jesus, I find that the disciples were disconnected whenever Jesus invited them to consider his impending betrayal, beatings and death. They, like me, don't want to dwell on such ugliness. Let's just get to the good part - the resurrection! The disciples did not have the luxury

paula gamblehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01370479487485944750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11558622.post-51311613211219155972009-02-26T20:33:00.000-08:002009-02-26T20:58:45.241-08:00

You'd think that growing up in the Episcopal church I would have understood Ash Wednesday by now. I am coming to appreciate what went unnoticed then. As Father Tony said on Wednesday night in his homily, Ash Wednesday is an invitation to remind us of our "creatureliness."Put another way - we are invited to "embrace our finitude."We have limited capacity, we are imperfect, we

paula gamblehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01370479487485944750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11558622.post-8525991354953833242009-02-16T21:30:00.000-08:002009-02-16T21:47:45.978-08:00

I bought a dining table yesterday - for 13 years in my condo I've only sat at the kitchen counter to eat meals. The same counter where I sort piles of mail, and laundry and groceries. It is the largest flat surface in my house so it typically has some sort of "mess" on it - mosaics, bills, ingredients for my next meal etc. It is far too often a stopping ground for all the things I'll get to "soon

paula gamblehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01370479487485944750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11558622.post-90573947832762223662009-02-10T14:07:00.000-08:002009-02-10T15:02:06.884-08:00

It's a snow day - and it completely renders my desire to do any work as unpalatable. So, I decided that today I would practice sauntering, lingering and frolicking. There is an edge of "guilt" to this - sometimes a fuzzy line between my lingering and laziness. Perhaps on this quest to become proficient as a "lingerer" I will have to unlearn the cultural admonitions regarding always working hard (

paula gamblehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01370479487485944750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11558622.post-49728437684488441732009-02-09T15:08:00.000-08:002009-02-09T15:31:51.278-08:00

Sauntering - Lingering - Frolicking. None of these seem to coincide with North American modernity which most people complain of but never do anything about. I even found out that June 19th is world Sauntering day - how cool is that? I can't wait! But I don't just want one day a year! So I am learning - to saunter, to linger, to frolic. In these things I find great delight.

paula gamblehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01370479487485944750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11558622.post-80940534357723679072009-02-03T07:37:00.000-08:002009-02-03T07:57:56.381-08:00

So I discovered that Thoreau wrote a book on walking - yes, walking. I couldn't believe it as I have come to realize that I think sometimes the best thing I do to contribute to this world and becoming a better human comes from me walking in the woods.He writes, "I have met but one or two persons in the course of my life who understood the art of walking, that is...who had a genius, so to speak

paula gamblehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01370479487485944750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11558622.post-80287767846137993552009-01-17T18:58:00.000-08:002009-01-17T19:11:52.956-08:00

Today I was out at a large missions conference in the Portland area - wow! It was a smorgasbord of amazing topics and seminars - 125 seminars total - how amazing is that? Like walking through a scrumptious buffet line, it would be easy to be overwhelmed by all the great choices. How in the world do you begin to decide what you want to go get a taste of? And - there was a throng of people in

paula gamblehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01370479487485944750noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11558622.post-48876224660330792072009-01-12T13:14:00.001-08:002009-01-12T13:23:14.216-08:00

...No to something that I really wanted...No to an opportunity that would have developed my writing in really profound ways...No to remuneration that would have given me a some breathing room financially.But it was Papa's no. And that means I said "yes" to Him.Sometimes these life decisions get so complicated. I might not have even been chosen in the first place to be the writer for this project.

paula gamblehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01370479487485944750noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11558622.post-65975967667414455832008-12-15T22:09:00.001-08:002008-12-15T22:17:20.633-08:00

My good friend Robin Gunn dedicated her latest Christmas Novella, Engaging Father Christmas, to both me and her agent Janet. I've never had a book dedicated to me - and I am so humbled. About a year ago, Robin let me in on the earlier stages to help her get unstuck. I am amazed at how much work she put in (wrote in essence the equivalent of 4 novels to get just this one novella published!)Check

paula gamblehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01370479487485944750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11558622.post-88540524377018608162008-12-06T08:46:00.001-08:002008-12-06T09:13:23.152-08:00

Every year I celebrate St. Nicholas Day - St. Nick was a real person - born in Turkey and in his later years became a bishop in the church. St. Nick loved kids - and it is said that he hired people to make wooden toys, warm clothes and gingerbread treats that he'd go and hand out.so - this morning I will make gingerbread men - but the old gingerbread cookie cutters had a bishops mitre (the pointy

paula gamblehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01370479487485944750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11558622.post-5105211654112496932008-11-21T09:30:00.000-08:002008-11-21T09:37:50.703-08:00

I've been thinking of how my family can focus in on Christ at Christmas...seems the hubbub/pressure of gifts gets in the way. So, again, I've started making some gifts as well as thinking of how I can relate to my family and others in my neighborhood this Christmas.I encourage you to watch this video and consider how you can re-paradigm your Christmas

paula gamblehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01370479487485944750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11558622.post-58877172179580892202008-11-17T12:54:00.000-08:002008-11-17T13:06:39.916-08:00

One of our guests at my ministry community's gathering last week shared about his need to slow down: ">The pace of my life is such I don’t have room for anything to go wrong, and when it does, the stress level goes through the roof... I hate that life. I’ve been contemplating the humanity of Jesus, amazed that he walked away from all the people that needed healing and instead, Jesus went away to

paula gamblehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01370479487485944750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11558622.post-71112459403600123022008-11-04T11:05:00.000-08:002008-11-04T11:06:20.386-08:00

I read about the Benedictine monastic vow of stability this week. Yes, the ones who vow this are committed to one piece of geography for the rest of their lives – but the vow is really about internal spiritual space which leads to stability of heart. Nouwen writes of how he wishes he would live: “Wherever I am, in a hotel, in a train, plane, or airport, I would not feel irritated, restless, and

paula gamblehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01370479487485944750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11558622.post-55415612909298703292008-09-23T17:10:00.001-07:002008-09-23T17:13:46.196-07:00

Last week (9/13 and 14) my pastor, Jeremy, interviewed me for the sermon. We were talking on "listening" to the Spirit. I love that my church leadership wants to listen to God and follow Him. At any rate, the mp3 is online for listening. Beware, we talk about unhurrying your life. So if you don't have time to listen - you're too busy. Just kidding.May you hear the Good Shepherd's voice of love

paula gamblehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01370479487485944750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11558622.post-69983118193570060722008-09-22T11:16:00.000-07:002008-09-22T11:25:45.854-07:00

Most of us, even seminary trained folk, have not had any teaching on listening to God outside of our morning quiet times. I think North Americans translate John 10 (my sheep know me, listen to my voice and follow me) as this:Jesus, as Shepherd, gathers his sheep in the morning - because of course that is the sanctified time of day to meet with Jesus. He gives some principles and instructions, "

paula gamblehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01370479487485944750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11558622.post-55318767923494664422008-09-12T14:01:00.001-07:002008-09-12T14:14:05.406-07:00

I was reading about the spiritual discipline of "Retreats" and the author says, "Rather than going on retreats that slow us down to listen and focus on God alone, we go on 'retreats' filled with lectures, late nights, constant activity and interaction with all kinds of people. This sort of retreating is not a bad thing. It is simply not a retreat from the busyness and distractions of life. It is

paula gamblehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01370479487485944750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11558622.post-83108739704008800452008-09-12T13:46:00.000-07:002008-09-12T14:00:58.614-07:00

A friend just sent me the link to this online video/photos... I do not even know the family, but I cried buckets in watching the welcoming home of this little baby into the family's arms. I wish that I would welcome others in the same way - that our churches would seek to invite people into "the family" with as much emotion and joy and wonder and with such sacrifice.Click HERE to watch the

paula gamblehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01370479487485944750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11558622.post-81961871986689791622008-09-11T17:33:00.000-07:002008-09-11T17:36:10.987-07:00

I'm taking a class at Fox on Brief Counseling...one of my classmates, Nathan, shared this helpful video in class today :)www.paulagamble.com

paula gamblehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01370479487485944750noreply@blogger.com0