A friend of mine shared that as a child she was quite grumpy when she would wake up. Her mother would require that she say five positive things before she could eat her breakfast. So, through gritted teeth, she would say, “your hair looks nice,” “my oatmeal looks delicious,” “it’s a beautiful day, “ etc. until they were both laughing ...READ MORE »
I show a documentary on Mother Teresa to my spiritual formation classes. There are a few groans when I first tell the class of this topic, but any hesitance is quickly changed to awe as the story of her life unfolds. You can hear a pin drop during the video. The film catches the essence of the ministry of this ...READ MORE »
“This is what the things can teach us: to fall, patiently to trust our heaviness. Even a bird has to do that before he can fly.” Rainer Maria Rilke I pull up the sleeve on the sweatshirt my wife and mother are conspiring to burn and check to see if the scar is still abiding horizontally across my elbow. The scar ...READ MORE »
The word “love” has been worn-out in our culture. It is used for everything from ice cream to deep intimacy. It causes at best confusion and at worst a disillusionment with each other in an intimate relationship. Social psychology has identified two stages of love in intimate relationships. The first is referred to as “passionate love,” and the second is “companionate ...READ MORE »
The word “confession” is part of our nomenclature in Churches of Christ. It’s one of the big five–hear, believe, repent, confess, and be baptized. James tells us “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” Do we as followers of Christ believe ...READ MORE »
An oft-said statement in our present culture is “I am spiritual, but not religious.” The value is placed on one’s personal emotional experience with the Divine. There is, of course, merit in personal revelation. God communicates with us in many ways—experience being one of them. It is a source of encouragement to look back over my life and see how ...READ MORE »
[In hopes of extending the work of Martin Luther King, Jr. I want to share a reflection. It was written in December, 2018, following a RULS – Racial Unity Leadership Summit, an offering of the Carl Spain Center https://carlspaincenter.org/. The summits are gatherings of primarily black and white church leaders (both men and women) and other parties interested in racial unity. ...READ MORE »
The scene is a familiar one. People spread out over the grounds of a retreat center carrying out the prayer assignment I have given–write a letter to God and then have God respond. To be specific, the instructions are as follows: Write in a free flow manner for ten minutes. Allow your heart to flow out on the paper. Write ...READ MORE »
Ah, the new year. It is laid out before me—clean and inviting. How do I begin this new chapter with the intention of letting God write through me? First, I recognize the tools at my disposal. I begin with the confidence of knowing that the God of the universe is with me each moment. God created me a unique individual made ...READ MORE »
At this time of year, the world is celebrating the birth of Christ. The Christmas story is read frequently, by those new to it and by those of us who have heard it since the time we were babies. The beauty of this is the familiarity. The shadow side is the apathy that can come as I take these wonderful ...READ MORE »
Life can be challenging. At times I am mistreated. I wrestle to make ends meet. I watch those I love struggle with pain and illness. I wonder at the discrepancies in the world as some have an easy life and others go hungry. How am I to respond? Where is God in this? Last week I read an article spotlighting ...READ MORE »
**An excerpt from Enneagram Ones Lesson 1 At the heart of Enneagram work is self-awareness. Even though you already know your number, self-observation is still what’s needed to manage it. We can’t change what we can’t name and we can’t name what we don’t observe. So this first week we will focus on growing in self-awareness. In our culture we are ...READ MORE »
**An excerpt from Art & Spirituality Lesson 1 Art is “something that is created with imagination and skill and that is beautiful or that expresses important ideas or feelings.” – from Merriam-Webster.com. In addition, art adds value to life. C. S. Lewis, whose beautifully written, highly imaginative Chronicles of Narnia are literary works of art, wrote that these types of stories “can give ...READ MORE »
I recently heard a story of a man by the name of John who made a living as a photographer. He traveled around the world for his craft and was exposed to varying cultures and individuals—many with dire need. He expressed some discomfort with the multitude of people begging on the streets and wondered how best to deal with ...READ MORE »
The following is an excerpt from Lesson 1 of our Introduction to the Enneagram course. The lesson goes on to give a brief history of the Enneagram, a 9-point personality typology system, as well as an overview of the additional 5 lessons that lay the foundation of self-discovery. This class invites you into a deeper knowing, of yourself and others so ...READ MORE »
There is no end to what God can teach us if we have eyes to see. The world is our classroom; life is our teacher. It is a matter of awareness and intent and a measure of humility. Am I willing to be coachable? In essence, I must recognize that God is God and I am not! My wisdom ...READ MORE »
Henri Nouwen wrote a wonderful piece entitled “Moving from Solitude to Community to Ministry.[1]” In this piece, he uses Luke 6 to demonstrate the pattern in the life of Jesus. One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, he called his disciples to him and ...READ MORE »
The young woman sat in my office and expressed her frustration with God. “I was so certain that God wanted me to take this job. The doors seemed to fly open. I know it was God’s will. But it has been terrible. I have never been so unhappy. Why would God do this to me?” The topic of discernment is ...READ MORE »
* A cancer diagnosis results in a huge upheaval to your lifestyle. Suddenly, you have to make regular doctor visits, subject your body to uncomfortable treatments, and face debilitating physical symptoms. This makes it extremely difficult to maintain the quality of life that you once had. Plus, cancer gets in the way of both career and life goals, making ...READ MORE »
“Why do people in this neighborhood get upset about putting up more houses? That lot there could have 8 more houses if they tore down that one”, my 40 something friend said as we walked down the street shaded with mighty oaks and maples and ash trees. “People my age don’t care about trees and grass and houses. Why ...READ MORE »
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