Field notes on life and mission with God in post-Christendom
Scott Cairns has a lovely book of poems called Endless Life: Poems of the Mystics, where he "riffs" on the writings of early church fathers and mothers. I was especially struck this morning by this poem, simply entitled "Prayer," rooted in the … [Continue reading] about Prayer That Holds the World Together
St. John Chrysostom, in his "Homily on the Devil the Tempter," talks about five "paths of repentance" that "all lead to heaven." I thought this would make a good outline for catechesis, especially for new believers or nominal Christians. Confess … [Continue reading] about Chrysostom’s Five Paths of Repentance
In Matthew 20:29-34, Jesus is leaving Jericho with a large crowd in tow. Just outside town, two blind men are sitting by the roadside, and when they hear that it's Jesus who is passing by, they begin crying out, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on … [Continue reading] about On Jesus Being Very Moved
As someone who's always been tuned into issues of fairness and justice, Jesus's parable of the workers in the vineyard has always fascinated and frustrated me. A landowner hires workers throughout the day to work in his vineyard. The result is … [Continue reading] about Status Games, Racism, Trauma, and the Kingdom of God
If God already knows what we need before we ask him, why pray? We pray not to inform God of what we want, as though he is ignorant of our desires and needs. No, we pray in order to "exercise our desires," as St. Augustine put it, so we can be made … [Continue reading] about Expanding (and Directing) Desire Through Prayer