Recently I conducted an Advent Quiet Time and used the four verses of Psalm 131 as the theme. It holds advice I keep peeling away like an onion, or maybe it’s peeling me away. The message is among the great spiritual treasures, my favorite Psalm for decades. In seminary the first line caught my attention …
Yesterday, (7/22/2018) in the Gospel for Pentecost 9, many Christians celebrated the compassionate healing activity of Jesus. His powerful ministry continued through the apostles. And centuries later it still spreads through the gift of healing as we seek and pray for God’s kingdom to come “on earth as it is in heaven.” It’s a good …
Everyone agrees that’s what we really need. But this Valentine’s Day reveals we aren’t so sure as a culture about what love really is. This weekend saw the release of the painfully romantic, critically panned date movie, “50 Shades Darker.” Protest signs at myriad political demonstrations graphically commend: “Love, not Hate.” Images of cuddly puppies, kittens and …
Last year on Pentecost morning a group of jet black vultures had settled under a spreading oak tree in our front yard. Never had I seen turkey buzzards, as they are known around here, except at their grisly work in nature’s final cleanup operation. Here they were at rest. I wondered what to call them, …
Today it is still Ascensiontide on the liturgical calendar, the day before Pentecost. Christians are remembering that period of waiting for the spiritual power Jesus promised would come upon about 120 persons, including the twelve disciples. During these few days, Judas was replaced with Matthias to complete the symbolic number for a new Israel, a community …
Lately I’ve been working with Revelation 3:20 as interpreted by Holman Hunt in his painting “The Light of The World.” “Behold I stand at the door and knock,” Jesus says, “If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him or her, and he or she with me.” …
Film directors and painters never tire of exploring the nuances of light and atmosphere. Some time ago, after having cataracts removed from my aging eyes, I resolved never again to take for granted the clarity, color and gradations of light. There is splendor in the whole of life; with the dimming of years I had …
Dream-work is the caffeine of the soul. An effective practice will help keep us spiritually awake. Why is this? By intentionally reflecting on our nightly dreams, the process of “noticing and befriending” gives one direct access to unconscious material of all kinds. The dreamscapes of the nightly REM cycles reveal metaphors of feelings and mood, …
The first thoughts about meditative postures are all still, static: kneeling, the full or half Lotus, seated with feet flat and straight back, or, the oldest one, standing with hands raised facing East. There is much to commend each of these; but what about movement? Years ago in seminary I prayed dutifully in my assigned …
Some Aspects of Physical Meditation: Walking in the Presence Read More »
