![](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/615\/2018\/11\/tree-3262605_960_720-200x300.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nThe trees: companions in my neighborhood, definers of the landscape, manifestations of God\u2019s goodness, creativity, and strength. Towering oaks, maples, aspens, birch, all tucked between the pines. These wide-reaching wonders now expose their bark, limbs and brownish cores. Orange-tan leaves that once defined them, now cover the ground and create a crunch underfoot.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a stripping.<\/p>\n
And, a great modeling of love.<\/p>\n
Therefore, you shall love the LORD, your God,<\/em> \u2013 Deuteronomy 6:5<\/p>\n Radical discipleship demands a bold love from me, from you. God seems to expect the giving back of our whole selves to…\u00a0[This is the beginning of a reflection I wrote for <\/em>Sick Pilgrim<\/a>\u00a0at Patheos, about the readings for\u00a0the 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time<\/a>.\u00a0<\/i>Continue reading\u00a0here<\/a>.]<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The trees are getting naked around here. The trees: companions in my neighborhood, definers of the landscape, manifestations of God\u2019s goodness, creativity, and strength. Towering oaks, maples, aspens, birch, all tucked between the pines. These wide-reaching wonders now expose their bark, limbs and brownish cores. Orange-tan leaves that once defined them, now cover the ground...","protected":false},"author":4071079,"featured_media":25381,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","episode_type":"audio","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[115341],"tags":[698755374,698755381,3105940,401,7816,74649,3785,1099,549560610,853,653375295,34941365,49907,170434,1906775,1494,16111,52010],"series":[698756626],"class_list":["post-8234","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-equity-and-justice-equity-and-justice","tag-community","tag-contemplation","tag-detaching","tag-faith","tag-god","tag-honesty","tag-love","tag-nature","tag-patheos-sick-pilgrim","tag-prayer","tag-readings-for-the-31st-sunday-in-ordinary-time","tag-relationship-2","tag-sacrifice","tag-scripture-meditation","tag-self-giving","tag-spirituality","tag-trees","tag-vulnerable","series-messy-jesus-business"],"acf":[],"episode_featured_image":"https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/artistic-perspective-of-leafless-tree-branches-creating-intricate-patterns-against-a-cloudy-sky.-3626410-scaled.jpg","episode_player_image":"https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/wp-content\/plugins\/seriously-simple-podcasting\/assets\/images\/no-album-art.png","download_link":"","player_link":"","audio_player":false,"episode_data":{"playerMode":"dark","subscribeUrls":{"apple_podcasts":{"key":"apple_podcasts","url":"","label":"Apple Podcasts","class":"apple_podcasts","icon":"apple-podcasts.png"},"stitcher":{"key":"stitcher","url":"","label":"Stitcher","class":"stitcher","icon":"stitcher.png"},"google_podcasts":{"key":"google_podcasts","url":"","label":"Google Podcasts","class":"google_podcasts","icon":"google-podcasts.png"},"spotify":{"key":"spotify","url":"","label":"Spotify","class":"spotify","icon":"spotify.png"}},"rssFeedUrl":"https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/feed\/podcast\/messy-jesus-business","embedCode":"
\nwith all your heart,<\/em>
\nand with all your soul,<\/em>
\nand with all your strength.<\/em>
\nTake to heart these words which I enjoin on you today.<\/em><\/p>\nDark Devotional: Getting Naked<\/a><\/blockquote>