Emily Rose Meditations

When we are hemmed in on every side, tempted by fiends, what is our recourse? What does our sister in faith Julian recommend? She insists that suffering, when viewed in the context of God almighty, is very small and quick, and therefore, can be borne “gladly and lightly.” How do we start on that path of perception in our everyday lives? This is inspired by the twenty-fourth chapter of Julian of No...

It can be easier to discount extraordinary experiences or uncomfortable truths revealed to us, but we’re meant to be transformed by them, we’re meant to grow more fully into the stature of Christ. This happens both slowly and incrementally, and also sometimes in a flash. How do we square all these sharp and disquieting bits of our pilgrimage? This is inspired by the twenty-third chapter of Julian...

This vision places God himself inside our souls, “sitting,” Julian says, in rest, as if our hearts are Jesus’s favorite place to chill out. It is this power that we call upon to be certain that we shall not be overcome by anxiety or fear or despair or any kind of evil. This is inspired by the twenty-second chapter of Julian of Norwich's short text, Revelations of Divine Love.

Just like Moses struggled to integrate the revelation he’d had when he came down the mountain from meeting God, Julian does, too. What might we learn about patience with the process of transformation? This is inspired by the twenty-first chapter of Julian of Norwich's short text, Revelations of Divine Love.

The themes that God’s visions given to Julian cover swirl around one another with such interdependence and consistency; this chapter alludes again to the transience of suffering, to the limits of human knowledge and understanding, to the vehicles of God’s glory, and to yearning for eternal bliss. They’re woven together here in a mystical blanket, encapsulating so much of what has been revealed to...

What if prayer is more about God than it is about us? What if we’re even more oblivious than we first thought? Julian suggests that the effort is really all on God’s part. It’s not a matter of us running to God’s castle in the clouds and pounding on the door and begging on scraped knees to be admitted inside, but that God is always there, always already ready to receive us, just like the Prodigal...

How do we detach shame and guilt from sin? Is that even the right thing to do? Martin Luther tells us (perhaps out of context) to “sin boldly.” Julian, give us your wisdom! Jesus, reveal to us the truth! This is inspired by the eighteenth chapter of Julian of Norwich's short text, Revelations of Divine Love.

Apologies for the title; I have no idea what our blessed sister would think about plastic surgery, only that God tells her (and us!) in today’s reading not to fear or be ashamed over the imperfections of her past. This is inspired by the seventeenth chapter of Julian of Norwich's short text, Revelations of Divine Love.

When Julian, in her vision, asks God about how things turn out for one particular loved one, God suggests she have more concern for everyone in general rather than such acute concern for one person. Is this a shot to the heart? A divine gift? Both? This is inspired by the sixteenth chapter of Julian of Norwich's short text, Revelations of Divine Love.

The ending of the story – of time – for Julian and many Christians, is written and revealed in Scripture. The sticky bit is that when, exactly, the end will come isn’t clear. And it’s the waiting that’s interminable, isn’t it? Julian offers us a salve in this itchy wound of wondering and waiting. This is inspired by the fifteenth chapter of Julian of Norwich's short text, Revelations of Divine Lov...

Did you know that Julian of Norwich isn’t just a mystic, but a theologian? It’s true. She gives her take on the problem of evil – sin – in today’s selection, and offers her readers an antidote to spinning our intellectual wheels. This is inspired by the fourteenth chapter of Julian of Norwich's short text, Revelations of Divine Love.

How do we develop compassion for strangers, perhaps even the ones who live in our homes? Julian joins a lineage of thought going back all the way to Abraham as she explores and provides her own answer to this question today. This is inspired by the thirteenth chapter of Julian of Norwich's short text, Revelations of Divine Love.

What God says to Julian in these visions (she tells us over and over), God says to each of us, too. Today, she has a conversation with Jesus about his crucifixion and death (often called “The Passion” as a blanket name for the events from his arrest in the Garden through to his resurrection on Easter Sunday morning). This is inspired by the eleventh chapter of Julian of Norwich's short text, Revel...

Julian reminds us of this important truth for those of us who struggle with our mental health: our pain is fleeting, our sorrow is not forever. I offer to you what I often use as a mantra in moments of darkness: it won’t always feel this way. It won’t always be this way. Things will change. This is inspired by the eleventh chapter of Julian of Norwich's short text, Revelations of Divine Love.

This passage reminds me of that line from the hymn, Abide with Me , “Hold thou thy cross before my closing eyes.” Julian rests in such security and certainty with the cross in her sight. So I wonder what might happen for us. Check out the Issenheim Altarpiece, or another piece of devotional art. This is inspired by the tenth chapter of Julian of Norwich's short text, Revelations of Divine Love.

What might it be like to choose to ignore the voices in our heads that speak of disgust with ourselves, and weariness with our existence? What if, just for a day, or a week, we chose to not give any attention to these voices? This is inspired by the ninth chapter of Julian of Norwich's short text, Revelations of Divine Love.

Some people think that Julian was delusional, and laughing at things that aren’t funny can be a sign of this problem. However, if God is as big and mighty as advertised, isn’t everything else humorously miniscule in comparison? That’s Julian’s take in today’s selection. This is inspired by the eighth chapter of Julian of Norwich's short text, Revelations of Divine Love.

As she faces her assumed-imminent demise, she is overcome by the truth of the immensity of God compared to the very smallness of our lives. Smallness makes something no less precious, but it does rather take up less airspace – Julian suggests the same might be wise of our mental and spiritual rooms. This is inspired by the seventh chapter of Julian of Norwich's short text, Revelations of Divine Lo...

In this season of Lent, we’re especially invited to welcome God more deeply into our lives, what might that look like for you, today? I wonder how we might practice decentering ourselves from our own lives; what could we do or shift in our habits to put God in that place of priority, instead? This is inspired by the sixth chapter of Julian of Norwich's short text, Revelations of Divine Love.

Throughout Julian’s records of these visions she received from God, she says many times, “God gave me time and space to contemplate it.” Do you give yourself time and space to contemplate and reflect? What might that look like for you? This is inspired by the fifth chapter of Julian of Norwich's short text, Revelations of Divine Love.

Julian beautifully describes God’s presence in our lives and in the world; postulating, God is “our clothing, wrapping and enveloping us… embracing and guiding us… hanging about us… so that he can never leave us.” If our sight, and mind, and soul are filled to overflowing with the presence of God, perhaps we can then both love God and God’s creation well. This is inspired by the fourth chapter of...

Julian seems convinced that a bodily feeling or experience will have a spiritual effect for her. So I wonder if we can apply her assumption and ask whether our bodily experiences, the aches and pains we suffer, or the desires and needs we feel, also have a spiritual significance. This is inspired by the third chapter of Julian of Norwich's short text, Revelations of Divine Love.

Julian communicates her desire to be more available to God not only with her thoughts and her voice, but with her corporate, or bodily, self, too. It made me wonder: how might I move my body to more readily to communicate to God my longing to yield to him? This is inspired by the second chapter of Julian of Norwich's short text, Revelations of Divine Love.

I wonder what gift you might ask God for, if you mustered up the courage to ask God for something big. This is inspired by the first chapter of Julian of Norwich's short text, Revelations of Divine Love.

Welcome to Emily Rose Meditations; I’m your host, Emily, and this season we’ll be engaging Julian of Norwich to guide us on our journey through Lent and Easter. I hope the time and space on this podcast can be one of renewal, unification, and peace. The peace of Christ be with you.