Hi there, fellow pilgrims. It’s been a while! What can I say? It’s summertime. I took a trip or two. Life got busy. I could go on with the excuses, but you probably get the idea. It’s good to be back.
A Few Updates
In June, I had the opportunity to visit the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. This was my fifth sightseeing tour of D.C. in the past thirteen years but my first visit to the museum, and I regret not checking it out sooner. The museum’s layout and exhibits are superb. So much attention to detail. It’s easily in my top three museums in D.C.
In July, I preached a sermon on Zephaniah 3:14–20, titled “The God Who Sings Over You,” at Life Mission Church in Escondido, California. It was the first time I had preached since Easter, and it felt good to step behind a pulpit again.
Already this month, I spent a lovely morning hiking in the San Pasqual Valley and wrote a brief trip report (with photos!).
I’ve been spending time with a playlist I created a few years ago called Songs of Lament and Hope. It’s for anyone who is grieving, hurting, or suffering. The songs make space for both lament and hope in our faithful Savior, Jesus Christ.
Lastly, I have a few reflections and articles in the hopper and hope to publish them here in the near future. Stay tuned!
A Poem
Song
By Jane Kenyon
An oriole sings from the hedge
and in the hotel kitchen
the chef sweetens cream for pastries.
Far off, lightning and thunder agree
to join us for a few days
here in the valley. How lucky we are
to be holding hands on a porch
in the country. But even this
is not the joy that trembles
under every leaf and tongue.
— Jane Kenyon, Otherwise: New and Selected Poems (Saint Paul, MN: Graywolf Press, 1996)
Through My Lens
What I’m Reading
- Waiting Isn’t A Waste: The Surprising Comfort of Trusting God in the Uncertainties of Life by Mark Vroegop
- The Old Ways: A Journey on Foot by Robert Macfarlane
- Native Son by Richard Wright
- The Spy Who Came in from the Cold by John le Carré
This has been another issue of The Weary Pilgrim. As always, thanks for reading!
