If we believe the Gospels, so much of what we pray for has been already given to us; still we continue to pray for God’s promised love and forgiveness. Why do we do that? Do we not trust the record that God has left for us? Here are a few examples of his promises to […]
As I have pondered the Beatitudes[Matthew 5:3-12] and read diverse opinions about them, I remember most what I read about Jim Forest’s concept in The Ladder of the Beatitudes,” a step-by-step process which describes the journey with Christ. Each rung is dependent on us achieving the current step before we can continue. We can think […]
Sometimes it’s a call from God. Or maybe you are embarrassed by what you’ve said or done and know that it was not said or done from love. It may come from an accumulation of evidence that something is wrong in your body or heart or mind. At one time for me it was a […]
The way of prayer is to be attendant on God in all that we do. This takes a deep listening for God’s “still, small voice” within, a back and forth with God about what we’re to do now and how we’re to do it. It’s a 24-hour a day attunement to the Divine. […]
Grace. Blessings. Prayer Have you ever driven a manual transmission? Do you remember how the gears were meant to mesh, just slide easily one from the other when you shift from second gear to third or third into fourth? There is no revving of too much gas, an ease with the clutch, just a very […]
From the beginning of creation intention was an integral part of God’s plan: in the incredible variety of species of plants and animals, in the interconnectedness and interdependency of species on one another, in the breadth and depth of the universe and so on throughout creation. It’s also a big part of […]
Recent snapshots that delight: four turkeys waddling up the road, then turning right and sauntering out of view; a pair of bluebirds at my feeder—a first this year; Identifying a warbler high in a tree through binoculars; standing on the berm near the cabin with a glass of wine in my hands watching the 45 […]
Called to gratitude… Called to recognize the Divine in everything… Called to the depths and heights… Called to love, mercy, compassion, forgiveness, hospitality to all… Called by you, Lord, to be present in this moment … Called to serve… Called to give abundantly as we’ve been given to… Called by our very nature to be […]
Prayer often means a set time for talking to God or offering up a specific request to God, a ritual or discipline that is daily—praying over a Biblical passage, for instance. Prayer can be a one-way form of communication sometimes when we toss prayers God’s way and a two-way street at other times, especially […]
Psalms. Intercessory. Spoken. Silent. Formal. Informal. Wordless. Invocations. The Lord’s Prayer. Jesus away from the crowds. There are probably more ways of praying than I am listing here, but when I think of prayer I think of communion, of being in the presence of, of talking to, of listening, of being with, of attending […]