Nadia, I nearly choked on my incense reading this. Not because it was too spicy, but because you just made apocalyptic landscaping feel like liturgy.
Hope that doesn’t rely on good vibes, strategic plans, or quarterly projections? Scandalous. You’re out here reminding us that the holy ones don’t wait for blue skies. They plant under cloud cover and dare the soil to remember Eden.
Expectancy instead of expectation? That’s spiritual aikido! Jeremiah buying land like it’s a Black Friday deal during Babylonian invasion is the kind of chaotic faith energy I aspire to. And don’t even get me started on Martin Luther planting trees at the end of the world. That’s the ultimate new heaven, new earth, new root system energy.
You’ve named it. This isn’t escapist hope. This is feral hope. Hope with dirt under its fingernails and a shovel in hand. Hope that composts disappointment and dares to bloom anyway.
I’ll be out back planting metaphorical fig trees and spiritual middle fingers to despair.
As I put the final touches on my sign for the No Kings protest today and experience all the “feels” that surround this, my heart is lifted by being reminded of “the outrageous promises of God” and that they are still with us - holding us. Thank you….
Andddddd.....you did it again. You sent a fabulously written inspiration of TRUTH while I am sitting here practically nauseous over TODAY and the PARADE and the horrific treatment of immigrants and more & more executive orders and the division in our country and the hate that comes through on every media outlet.
THANK YOU - THANK YOU - THANK YOU.
You remind us of what it means to BELIEVE. And for that, I continue to be grateful to you and for you.
I love this prayer by by Yule, played by Timothy Chalomet, in the movie Don't Look Up:
Dearest Father and Almighty Creator, we ask for your grace tonight, despite our pride; your forgiveness, despite our doubt; most of all, Lord, we ask for your love to soothe us through these dark times. May we face whatever is to come in your divine will with courage and open hearts of acceptance. Amen.
Always ~ like a breeze delivering the wonder of fresh air and I can breathe again ~ always, a delivering of the Spirit and a centering of the heart and the embrace of the universe ~ thank you ~ ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨
Love it - I preached on hope - not dissimilar to what you are writing - and when I wrote the sermon had no idea there was a bombshell about to be dropped for that congregation, God’s Spirit. Thank you for all your real and encouraging writings, feel, I often look back on them, blessings
Hi Pastor Nadia!! I have trauma from growing up a pastors kid in the Nazarene Church and being taught about the Rapture and the AntiChrist and that the world was going to end. I’m now an ELCA Member going to Seminary School! My mentor is Pastor Heidi and she taught me recently, when I asked her what if it’s true the world was going to end, that Martin Luther said “if the world was going to end tomorrow, I’d plant an apple tree today.” That really resonated with me and I decided to plant an apple tree in our yard! (We live in a mobile home park so it’s technically not allowed which was an added bonus that it was an act of defiance!) My wife is also pregnant so I am not only growing a tree but a baby! So I guess I have hope. I love the synchronicity of you planting a tree very soon after I learned this. I have a lot of trauma and don’t let many people into my head but your voice has become one I trust and listen to. You are one of my “founding mothers” of Lutheranism. I hope to see you in person and tell you more of my story one day. Thank you Pastor Nadia. I love you so much!
p.s. My hubby and I cracked up over THIS - “don’t get your hopes up. You don’t want to be disappointed” because that was legit my upbringing and he always wonders why I shoot straight to the "worse possible scenario" in all situations. Welp.
‘Love is not cautious, but extravagant and specific’ … I’m sure that’s a quote from someone famous but I just remember it because it was written in the margins of my journal … and I suppose I love it and believe it because that is an enjoyable way that I like to engage life, formerly (in my growing up years) defined as ‘living irresponsibly’
Expectancy v. expectations - great reframe. Expectations are premeditated resentments, but expectancy speaks of a deep and abiding joy and hope that comes from God.
I’ve been in recovery for years and have heard all sorts of takes on “keeping your expectations low, and acceptance high”, but never anything about Hope. I love all of this. I always felt there had to be more than acceptance of things going on, than changing the things that are unacceptable. Thank you Nadia🙏🏽🕊️
Nadia, I nearly choked on my incense reading this. Not because it was too spicy, but because you just made apocalyptic landscaping feel like liturgy.
Hope that doesn’t rely on good vibes, strategic plans, or quarterly projections? Scandalous. You’re out here reminding us that the holy ones don’t wait for blue skies. They plant under cloud cover and dare the soil to remember Eden.
Expectancy instead of expectation? That’s spiritual aikido! Jeremiah buying land like it’s a Black Friday deal during Babylonian invasion is the kind of chaotic faith energy I aspire to. And don’t even get me started on Martin Luther planting trees at the end of the world. That’s the ultimate new heaven, new earth, new root system energy.
You’ve named it. This isn’t escapist hope. This is feral hope. Hope with dirt under its fingernails and a shovel in hand. Hope that composts disappointment and dares to bloom anyway.
I’ll be out back planting metaphorical fig trees and spiritual middle fingers to despair.
"They plant under cloud cover and dare the soil to remember Eden." Beautiful
As I put the final touches on my sign for the No Kings protest today and experience all the “feels” that surround this, my heart is lifted by being reminded of “the outrageous promises of God” and that they are still with us - holding us. Thank you….
💜💜💜
Andddddd.....you did it again. You sent a fabulously written inspiration of TRUTH while I am sitting here practically nauseous over TODAY and the PARADE and the horrific treatment of immigrants and more & more executive orders and the division in our country and the hate that comes through on every media outlet.
THANK YOU - THANK YOU - THANK YOU.
You remind us of what it means to BELIEVE. And for that, I continue to be grateful to you and for you.
I love this prayer by by Yule, played by Timothy Chalomet, in the movie Don't Look Up:
Dearest Father and Almighty Creator, we ask for your grace tonight, despite our pride; your forgiveness, despite our doubt; most of all, Lord, we ask for your love to soothe us through these dark times. May we face whatever is to come in your divine will with courage and open hearts of acceptance. Amen.
me too!!
Always ~ like a breeze delivering the wonder of fresh air and I can breathe again ~ always, a delivering of the Spirit and a centering of the heart and the embrace of the universe ~ thank you ~ ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨
Love it - I preached on hope - not dissimilar to what you are writing - and when I wrote the sermon had no idea there was a bombshell about to be dropped for that congregation, God’s Spirit. Thank you for all your real and encouraging writings, feel, I often look back on them, blessings
Hi Pastor Nadia!! I have trauma from growing up a pastors kid in the Nazarene Church and being taught about the Rapture and the AntiChrist and that the world was going to end. I’m now an ELCA Member going to Seminary School! My mentor is Pastor Heidi and she taught me recently, when I asked her what if it’s true the world was going to end, that Martin Luther said “if the world was going to end tomorrow, I’d plant an apple tree today.” That really resonated with me and I decided to plant an apple tree in our yard! (We live in a mobile home park so it’s technically not allowed which was an added bonus that it was an act of defiance!) My wife is also pregnant so I am not only growing a tree but a baby! So I guess I have hope. I love the synchronicity of you planting a tree very soon after I learned this. I have a lot of trauma and don’t let many people into my head but your voice has become one I trust and listen to. You are one of my “founding mothers” of Lutheranism. I hope to see you in person and tell you more of my story one day. Thank you Pastor Nadia. I love you so much!
p.s. My hubby and I cracked up over THIS - “don’t get your hopes up. You don’t want to be disappointed” because that was legit my upbringing and he always wonders why I shoot straight to the "worse possible scenario" in all situations. Welp.
‘Love is not cautious, but extravagant and specific’ … I’m sure that’s a quote from someone famous but I just remember it because it was written in the margins of my journal … and I suppose I love it and believe it because that is an enjoyable way that I like to engage life, formerly (in my growing up years) defined as ‘living irresponsibly’
Thank you 💜
Expectancy v. expectations - great reframe. Expectations are premeditated resentments, but expectancy speaks of a deep and abiding joy and hope that comes from God.
I’ve been in recovery for years and have heard all sorts of takes on “keeping your expectations low, and acceptance high”, but never anything about Hope. I love all of this. I always felt there had to be more than acceptance of things going on, than changing the things that are unacceptable. Thank you Nadia🙏🏽🕊️
thank you for sharing.
As always, thanks and ever thanks.
Great read. Thanks Nadia!!
Grateful for your message today. Just wanted to leave a small note. xx Steph