Rev. Julie (Woods) Rennick at RevGals writes: “The Fridays come and go, and each week there are things in the news which catch our attention. It seems that in our present time wherever we are in the world – bad stuff is happening… Friends, the times may be dark, the days uncertain, but this we know – God is light and life and love and together we can overcome. Today for your Friday Five contributions – share your favourite bible verses, photos, times of day and poetry – in any combination you choose in order to shed light on our darkened world.”

1. Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. (Philippians 4:4) This was in the lectionary the Sunday following the tragic death of a young man in the community I was serving as a student. I wrestled with and was comforted by this passage and it became a touchstone.
2. Songs and prayers from  Taizé, in particular In the Lord I’ll Be Ever Thankful. You can listen to it here.
3. Almost any poetry by Mary Oliver.
4. The Peace of the Wild Things by Wendell Berry .
5. Any time by the ocean refreshes and renews my spirit. 
6. Bonus one! Photography as a spiritual practice. Somehow