Field notes on life and mission with God in post-Christendom
“Normal” church life has been disrupted by the pandemic, which has given many people an unexpected opportunity to rethink what worship is, and what it’s for. This week I’ve been thinking about this quote from Gregory the Great (Bishop of Rome, … [Continue reading] about Imitate What You Receive
These words from Dame Julian of Norwich really landed for me the other day (she talks often of Jesus as our "Mother," FYI): We make our humble complaint to our beloved Mother, and he sprinkles us with his precious blood, and makes our soul pliable … [Continue reading] about Our Humble Complaint
I've really connected with this prayer from Edward Pusey, one of the leading figures of the Oxford Movement in the 19th century. I've begun to use it as a gateway into contemplative prayer. Let me not seek out of Thee what I can only find in Thee; … [Continue reading] about Above the Weary Round of Harassing Thoughts
I am fresh off two weeks of vacation, and one of the major shifts that took place for me during this time was my mind got "unhooked" from social media. Before this vacation, with the pandemic and the protests, I was noticing that my mind would … [Continue reading] about Unhooking from the Social Media Drip
This morning in my daily readings from the church fathers there was a passage from Origen's Treatise on Prayer. He spoke of the importance of preparing to pray, and the difference it can make in the life of the one who prays in the this way. No … [Continue reading] about The Importance of Preparing to Pray