Author Archives: watchwordsblog

Christian hope does not promise successful days to the rich and the strong, but resurrection and life to those who must exist in the shadows of death.  Success is no name of God. Righteousness is.  Jürgen Moltmann Meditation: The current chaplains and pastors in the White House who are chosen by our President mirror hisContinue reading “Christian Hope…”

God weeps with us so that we may one day laugh with him. Jürgen Moltmann Meditation: A terrible storm over Texas has literally been roaring now for two days. And there is no end in sight. Similarly a figuratively threatening storm is hovering over our country and even impacts our worldwide political climate. We experience literal climate change as our weather develops extreme phenomena,Continue reading “God Weeps With Us…”

When the going gets tough, the tough take a nap. Tom Hodgkinson Meditation: I remember being pregnant with twins. I was able to work as a hospital chaplain until one Friday and the next Monday our girls were born full-term. Friends asked me how I could carry 50 pounds extra and work all the wayContinue reading “The Tough Take a Nap…”

When we begin to build walls of prejudice, hatred, pride, and self-indulgence around ourselves, we are more surely imprisoned than any prisoner behind concrete walls and iron bars. Mother Angelica Meditation: It is disheartening for me to see how some of our evangelical brothers and sisters have joined the nationalist political movement of hatred thatContinue reading “Our Evangelical Brothers and Sisters…”

A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person. Mignon McLaughlin Meditation: Next month my husband and I will be married for 20 years. Somehow it feels like a short time, and yet much has happened. We could not have imagined our life as it is now. We are deeplyContinue reading “Falling in Love Many Times…”

Life is as complex as we are. Sometimes our vulnerability is our strength, our fear develops our courage, and our woundedness is the road to our integrity. It is not an either/or world. Rachel Naomi Remen Meditation: We have a president whose worldview is built on an “either-or” perspective. He often misses the complexity ofContinue reading “The Paradox of Faith…”

Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow. It empties today of its strength. Corrie ten Boom Meditation: Jesus invites us to not constantly look ahead and worry about the future. Sometimes this is hard to do. Especially we Germans are raised to prepare for tomorrow, in case bad things might happen. However, living inContinue reading “Let’s Be Mindful…”

Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God. Corrie ten Boom Meditation: Today, many people have travelled or are travelling to see the total eclipse of the sun. An event that made millions of US citizens buy extra dark glasses so that they can see into the sun without getting blinded.Continue reading “Trust a Known God…”

Do not be silent; there is no limit to the power that may be released through you. Howard Thurman Meditation: We are living in times where our basic values as Christians and as a democratic society are being attacked – once again. History repeats itself. Neonacism, KKK, right extremists are using their opportunity under aContinue reading “Do Not Be Silent…”

God dreams us, and we should not let God dream alone. Dorothee Sölle Meditation: Our country is going through a spiritual desert. It feels like our top leaders are spiritually bankrupt. The reckless and casual threat of nuclear war and the support of right radical violence is utterly irresponsible and horrifying. This is humanity atContinue reading “God Dreams Us…”