One of the rich practices that I?ve come to appreciate is the ancient tradition of praying the psalms. Communities of faith have been doing this together for centuries. Sometimes, I will simply journal my personal response to a particular psalm. Psalm 63 has been a recent place of encountering God?s grace for me: ?O God, […]
Life Giving Leadership
A while back, I read these lines in the book of Numbers: ?The staff belonging to the man I choose will sprout, and I will rid myself of this constant grumbling against you by the Israelites?. The next day Moses entered the tent and saw that Aaron?s staff, which represented the tribe of Levi, had […]
Morning Rhythms
One of the practices that I find especially soul-nourishing is reading the daily lectionary in the mornings. The lectionary provides four readings: 1) a psalm, 2) an Old Testament reading, 3) a general reading from the New Testament and 4) a gospel passage. The daily lectionary provides a cycle of readings that last three years […]
How Can I Grow More Mature in Christ?
Let’s spend some time in scripture together. Take a moment to?read Philippians 3:7-17 slowly and reflectively.?Then make your way through the thoughts below. We grow more mature in Christ as? He Himself fills more and more of the horizon of my life (7-8). Paul looks at the advantages of his Hebrew heritage, his religious family, […]
Optimistic Counsel from a Pessimistic Book
The pessimistic book I have in mind is the book of Ecclesiastes. That?s at least one perspective on that book of thoughts from someone coming towards the end of their life?s journey. Having a bit of a pessimistic bent myself (whether by temperament or experience, I?m not sure), I like to think of it as […]
Search for the Lord
I was reading Psalm 105 in the Book of Common Prayer (one of my favorite translations of the psalms, by the way). I was drawn to three phrases of invitation in the first few verses: Search for the Lord (v. 4a) call upon his Name (v. 1a) continually seek his face. (v. 4b) What would […]
You Won’t Be Stretched Beyond What You Can Bear
A few years ago the economic downturn hit us hard. The perfect storm of the recession, a seasonal drop in financial support and some unexpected expenses dug the hole a little deeper. Ouch! I woke in the middle of the night feeling worry and fear rising up in me, so I got up, went to […]
