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Meredith Gould

“I was a stranger…*

by Meredith Gould

I should probably cut myself a break. After all, it has only been six weeks since I moved to Baltimore (aka Charm City and legitimately so). Within days of arrival, I had boxes unpacked, books on the shelves and pictures on the walls of my new apartment (read: hermitage). By week five, I’d already cooked, [...]

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Contemplative Cooking

by Meredith Gould

Since I no longer believe in coincidence, I’m wondering what God is inviting me to see, not only in the sudden spate of movies glorifying food, but because this morning’s kitchen adventure soon became an especially contemplative exercise. I’ve been cooking — and eating  — for many years. I was raised by foodies who entered [...]

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Contemplating My New Bettas

by Meredith Gould

Over the weekend, I went to Petsmart and brought home a new betta, in part because the betta that survived last month’s move from Princeton to Baltimore seemed lonely. I know I’m not making this up because he has been building big bubble nests, much bigger than the bubble nests he built right after the [...]

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Real Presents (Part II)

by Meredith Gould

Moving right along.  Where was I?  The 5:30 PM liturgy on Friday. I had finally settled down in a back pew when an usher’s tap on my shoulder launched me into full-bodied Uh-oh Mode. What did I do? What didn’t I do? I’m convinced this reaction is the result of having watched “The Trouble With [...]

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Real Presents (Part I)

by Meredith Gould

Just when I’m almost certain that church-the-building is one of the last places I’ll encounter God’s grace, I receive evidence to the contrary. Being a mystic* type, I’m okay with having my assumptions about church and faith challenged empirically. This is what happened when I got into gear for the 5:30 PM liturgy on Friday. [...]

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On the Move with God

by Meredith Gould

God doesn’t move, we do. I’ve heard this aphorism for years and am currently experiencing this bit of wisdom big time.  God doesn’t move, but I did — and I mean this quite literally. Was it just last week or the previous one that movers arrived to load and transport all my stuff? I can’t [...]

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A Lector’s Margin Notes

by Meredith Gould

I probably can’t describe how I know if and when I’m hearing from the Almighty without sounding odd.  Let’s just say I’ve (pretty much) learned how to distinguish God’s prompts from whatever is bubbling up from the simmering cauldron of my own ego. In any given situation, God is infinitely more creative and nuanced than [...]

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