Now, this is an…interesting parable. If we look at it on the surface – let’s be honest – doesn’t it look like Jesus is advocating for us to lie, cheat, and steal? We can focus on the last few verses, and that helps a little bit, but couldn’t Jesus have told this story with a Read More …
This passage is one of those beautiful metaphoric passages about the Kingdom of God. Whether in terms of sheep or coins, we see the love of God for even one of his lost, little ones – all of us creatures – the children of God. God cares so much! Isn’t that wonderful? Boy, I would Read More …
This book by Karen Armstrong is a bit different from the general vein of books that I review. While her most popular work is definitely A History of God. this book explores her personal journey. It is a first-person narrative biography, and it is an example of a growing genre: deconversion. Armstrong spent seven years as Read More …
While the basics of centering prayer can be learned and put into practice in less than an hour, this practice is always capable of presenting a new facet – a different nuance – a fresh variation of practice. So, what about this one? Most variations of a centering prayer practice have the participant close his/her Read More …
Well, I’m back! We all have moved and settled in here at Sewanee, TN. I’ll be transitioning back to posting to this website more regularly, but please bear with me as I find a new routine here at the University of the South. With that said, let’s take a look at the gospel passage for Read More …
This post is specifically connected to the Hosea study for St. Stephen’s Adult Christian Education program (but anyone please feel free to join in and use these practices). We are looking at Hosea through the different senses of Scripture, and we ran out of time before getting to the mystical sense this morning. The following Read More …
To all of my loyal followers (yes, both of you) 🙂 You may have noticed that I haven’t posted much in the last week or two. I am currently gearing up for a cross-country move, and I am building some new content for the spiritual practices section of this site and an entirely new section. Read More …
The spiritual path is not meant to be walked alone. The practice of spiritual direction has been developed over the millennia in light of this truth. Spiritual direction (also known as spiritual friendship, mentorship, discipleship, accountability, etc.) can take many forms, but it is necessary for anyone who is serious about a fully spiritual — Read More …
This passage may be familiar to many people. I’m sure that the statement “I am Legion, for we are many” is familiar even if you might not have known the exact circumstances of its use. I’ve always loved the face-off here of good vs. evil. We shouldn’t mess around with Jesus, right? Perhaps, one could Read More …
Have you ever heard of the Enneagram? If not, you might go here for a little background. Simply stated, the Enneagram is a personality typing system, but it is not like Myers-Briggs Type. Most personality systems look at cognition — how do you think and how do others think differently. That information can be immensely Read More …
