Rev. Linda Rounds-Nichols, Agape Ministries

09/06/2026

The Scripture readings for today include Ezekiel 33:7-9 and Matthew 18:15-20, together providing instruction about dealing with the misbehavior of another. Considering the bullying that sometimes seems rampant (school is starting – prayers for all kids, especially those who seem to be targeted!), it’s too bad we don’t follow these guidelines. First, Ezekiel tells us it is our responsibility to be on watch and to warn others about wrongdoing.

Jesus explains it further in Matthew. If someone wrongs us, we speak to them (No! I don’t like it!) Yes, doing this is hard! Next, if that doesn’t work, we take someone with us, and we speak up again. We might still do this in our current world. But then, we are to take the situation to the whole. This could be church, the classroom, the school, the full group. How often does this occur today?

And then? If the person doesn’t listen and change, s/he is out. In our scenario, this means the bully is chastised, ignored, and separated from the full group. This is the piece we often seem to be missing today. This may be something we need to reinstate – instead of accepting that bad things happen, instead of looking the other way, instead of standing up for the bully (parents listening??), we need to act. If we don’t, then as Ezekiel points out, WE become responsible for whatever happens next.

08/30/2026

Do you believe that you have a calling – something God is telling you to be or do? Do you wonder if what you think might be a call from God really is from God? Today’s Scripture reading from Jeremiah (20:7-9) shows us how to answer this question!

Like Jeremiah, many people who are really called try to turn away from that urging, that directive. And, like Jeremiah, they find it impossible to do so. Perhaps that tells us the call is authentic.

And perhaps there is another clue – disbelief. Perhaps those who walk into what may be a calling without disbelief and humility are answering their own call, not God’s. They, too, may find it difficult not to move forward, but that would be the ego’s call, not a call from the Divine.

It seems that when one receives an authentic call, the first response is, “Me? Not me! I’m not worthy!” The second, then, would be the impossibility of not following God’s directive.

A personal aside:
Once I understood the Divine really was calling me, I faced many obstacles in my attempts to answer with "Yes." Like many, I gave up. But then, I couldn't. I told some people that it was like having a monkey on my back (Sorry if the reference to God as a monkey offends you....) The urging was sometimes gentle, sometimes fierce. So I searched to find a way to do what God was demanding!

08/28/2026

This time, the full moon will come to some of us in both her light and with some darkness (sort of like life, huh!) Depending upon where we are, and whether the sky is cloudy, we may be able to see a lunar eclipse Friday night - around 9ish in the western part of the US! Eclipses always bring a special energy, often determined by what sign the moon is in or entering. (She goes through all of the Zodiac signs each month.)

This is a Pisces moon, normally bringing acceptance and maybe a little calm, but with the eclipse we might encounter a little chaos! We, and others, might be a little on edge, so it would be wise for us to watch our communication, to avoid automatically taking things personally, and to stay grounded. This means, for those of us who know it, the Serenity Prayer may come in handy! (If you don’t know this prayer, I absolutely suggest you give it a try!)

Turning inward, we might feel a little rebellious. This could be either good or not so good, depending on what we do with the feeling. It could lead us to step out of our comfort zone and move forward with something. Or, because the year is beginning to fade away, we may decide it is time to let go of something that could be near and dear, either to ourselves or others. That’s when the rebel might step up and lead the way, or we might step up and say, whoa, not yet.

And we might say not yet to avoid conflicts, which is fine. We’ll know when and if the time is right. Meanwhile, avoiding conflicts might be important right now – especially if they aren’t ours. We might feel that we are being pulled into someone else's, so, as always, we need to take care.

Our Moonology Card tells us to take some time for contemplation, and our Mary Magdalene card advocates clear communication.

This could be an interesting time, so enjoy the ride!

Inspiration from: Daykeeper Journal, the Oagan Grimoire, the Power Path, Spells 8.
Cards: Mary Magdalene: Sisterhood of the Rose Power Cards and Moonology Oracle Deck.

08/23/2026

There’s a key word in Matthew 16:13-20 that we might overlook. It is a small but mighty word that carries much meaning. The word is ‘my’. We read that Jesus tells Peter that Jesus is going to build “my church’. The key word is ‘my’ .

The Christian church, even today in all of its various configurations, is Jesus’ church. It doesn’t belong to the clergy or the lay people, the vestry or church board, nor the denomination or jurisdiction. The church was meant to be Jesus’ church.

It seems that in any of the many churches, we sometimes forget this!

08/16/2026

The chosen people are …..? While reading the Old Testament, we are often reminded that the Hebrew people are God’s chosen. In today’s world, we may hear from many Christians that, because of Jesus, Christians are God’s chosen ones.

But these scriptures (Isaiah 56:1, 6-7; Psalm 67: 2-3, 5-8; Romans 11:13-15, 29-32; Matthew 15: 21-28) provide a different answer. In these readings we hear of the acceptance of foreigners joining with God, of all nations, of Gentiles, and even (although it takes a while) of a pagan Canaanite woman.

What might this mean?

And what might this mean for each of us? If we want to be chosen, might it not be true that those whom we might not choose are already among God’s chosen, just as we are? And if this is accurate ..... should we be looking at others differently?

08/12/2026

August 12, 2026 New Moon and Solar Eclipse!
They say that the days and weeks around an eclipse can be chaotic – in the world and in our personal lives. In the Southwest and other parts of the country, wildfires have been burning. Some or many places are facing drought. Yet others have power issues, as we did yesterday evening, after a storm took out the electricity for a few hours.

As Dana Gerhardt tells us, “eclipses don’t cause ominous events, but they beg us to interpret them.”(1) With her words in mind, what does fire symbolize for you? Warmth, heat, smoke, destruction, anticipation, fear? The Pocket Fire close to Sedona brought up these things for many here for about a month. (And we are all very thankful for the firefighters who fought and managed that fire.) What do water and drought symbolize? Life, death, being in the flow, or not, vitality, lack thereof? Same question about electricity, blackouts, and power. Maybe reflection on these elements can lead to insights into our lives.

The energies of the elements can help us recognize old and perhaps outdated thought patterns, beliefs, even identities. I think of Archie Bunker from the old TV show. He spouted off his many long-held beliefs to the chagrin of his daughter and her husband. Their differences led to many heated conversations, as may happen in families today, too, especially right now. This is a time when communication may be more in-your-face than is useful. So, this means to pause – breathe – feel our feelings without necessarily acting on them! And, if we feel that acting on our feelings is appropriate, then perhaps we can do so more calmly than if we jump right in!

So, awareness and adaptability may be key right now. Again, if we notice we are holding on to outdated and destructive thoughts, as many would say Archie was doing, it may well be time to let go of them.

Meanwhile, we can appreciate some other Leo New Moon qualities – we may feel drawn to doing something creative or learning something new. Now is the time, but we may want to wait a few days before beginning something new, just to let some of the eclipse energy fade a bit.

Our Moonology Card is for a New Moon Eclipse and tells us to ‘Expect a Powerful Change.”
Our Mary Magdalene Sisterhood of the Rose cards remind us of the importance of and power of our intentions.

Inspiration from: DayKeeper Journal, Mooncircles: Simone Butler: Leo Solar Eclipse- Stay Cool in the Eye of the Storm, and 1 Dana Gerhardt: Fire. Thirst. Darkness. What is the Solar Eclipse Telling Us?; Spells 8, The Power Path.

08/09/2026

In Matthew 14:22-33, we read the story of the disciples’ fear when they see a Spirit coming toward their boat…walking on water. When they recognized it was Jesus, Peter asked to be able to walk on water himself, and he does! However, he was only able to do this until fear overcame him - when that fear became stronger than his trust in Jesus.

We too may begin something new, having high hopes, dreams, and the belief that all will be well. But then we may find ourselves faced with negative thoughts. These may include things like ‘This is too much; I’m not good enough, or I’m afraid.’ While perhaps accurate (after all, it isn’t normal for a human to walk on water, right?!) we let go of the trust that was behind our hopes and dreams. We forget that just maybe those hopes, dreams and beliefs are a calling from the Divine – a calling we should trust!

08/02/2026

In the words of Romans 8:35-89, we see that neither the belief in nor the hope for retribution is accurate. As we have probably seen in our own lives, good people do not only experience good things, nor do people we might consider bad only experience bad events. Bad things do happen to good people, but nothing will separate us from God’s love, even if some of those things, as in verse 35, were once considered shameful.

The question we might want to consider is whether our love for God is as faithful as God’s love for us. Might we blame and turn away from God when bad things occur? 🥹

07/31/2026

Lughnasadh/Lammas - August 1.
The ancient people and some Christians have long celebrated Lughnasadh/Lammas on August 1 in the Northern Hemisphere.

Lughnasadh came first, as an ancient Celtic festival, named for the God/King Lugh, who was said to be master of all skills. His talents ranged from the crafts to leadership (so in those days, this also meant he was a great warrior.) He created the Lughnasadh festival to honor his foster mother, Tailtiu, the Earth Goddess, who died after preparing the land so people could farm. The description of the festival sounds somewhat like the Olympics, with many games and contests. It is thought there were also spiritual services, honoring the many Gods and Goddesses of the harvest.

Lammas also celebrates the harvest, seeing this as a time of the first main harvest and the indication that more harvests are expected as we move toward the fall season. A ritual for Lammas was/is baking a loaf of bread from the first of the wheat. This loaf was/is then offered at church for a blessing of continued good harvests.
Most of us have no access to newly harvested wheat, nor do we want to bake anything during what is a current heat wave for many. However, if any want to celebrate this holiday another way, and if the materials are available (even at a local craft store 😊), there’s always the possibility of making corn dollies. These were, and are, made as spiritual reminders of our prayers for the coming season. This website may help: https://nurturestore.co.uk/how-to-make-a-corn-dolly-craft-for-a-harvest-celebration/

Another way to celebrate Lughnasadh/Lammas could be to light a candle, used to symbolize a bonfire. While gazing on the flame, we can reflect on the past, present, and hoped-for future, while asking the Divine for protection and purification.

So may it be!

Learn how to make a corn dolly with this easy step-by-step tutorial. Three simple wheat-weaving designs kids can make for a fall harvest celebration.

07/29/2026

July, 2026
My goodness, there certainly are many ways of looking at the energy of this full moon, as suggested by those from whom I draw inspiration! Some tell us of the importance of connection, while others point out that we may do well to remain somewhat detached. Perhaps the reason for the detachment is that this could be an emotional time, so I guess we are to seek connection with others with care? Or, that we should “be aware of your own reactions – and your own responsibility for them…”1 Or maybe we are to connect with the prayer that is on one of my favorite tee-shirts. It says something like: God put your arm around my shoulder and your hand over my mouth!

As well as making some careful connections, other suggestions for this moon include paying attention to the possibility of nudgings, or a call, or a dream, desire, or goal that seems to resurface. Perhaps something needs healing, and that could occur when we take a chance on that desire.
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Or we might want those connections to be ancestral. Are there past situations, whether in your own life or in the lives of those who have gone before, that are calling for attention, recognition, healing? Or perhaps the lives of our ancestors have a lesson or message for us. This is a time to consider these possibilities. I remember when my dad told me stories about his mother. Until then, I knew I came from a strong grandmother on my mother’s side but didn’t know the same was true of my father’s side!

Yes… there are so many different suggestions for this full moon!!
May you pick something that fits you and have fun with it!

Our Mary Magdalene card is ‘clear communication’ – always important - this might help us connect carefully!
Our Moonology card says that ‘the energy is gaining momentum’ – maybe this tells us to be careful which energies we are sending out, and the energies that surround us!

Inspiration from:
Daykeeper Journal; Mooncircles: Aquarius-Full Moon: Bright Ideas, Simone Butler and Aquarius Full Moon Conga Line, April Elliott Kent; Power Path; Spells 8

And a book suggestion from April Elliott Kent: Social: Why our Brains are Wired to Connect, by Matthew Lieberman.

1Powerpath