15 Aug, 2022
Sometimes I come across a spiritual concept that appears to be true to me and yet is not addressed adequately, if at all in our scripture. Beauty is one of those concepts. Biblically, I broadened my search outside of our Inclusive Bible to the...
08 Aug, 2022
According to Merriam-Webster, b eauty is “the quality or aggregate of qualities in a person or thing that gives pleasure to the senses or pleasurably exalts the mind or spirit.” Spiritually, I would suggest that it is more. When we see beauty,...
01 Aug, 2022
Stop worrying, then, over questions such as, ‘What are we to eat,’ or ‘what are we to drink,’ or ‘what are we to wear?’ Those without faith are always running after these things. God knows everything you need. Seek first God’s reign, and God’s...
25 Jul, 2022
Psalm 4 asks, “Does good even exist anymore?” It's a question that still seems pertinent today. And yet, even in the face of that despair, the Psalmist proclaims that Yahweh has filled their heart with joy… "a joy greater than being full of...
19 Jul, 2022
Did you know that we all have access to the joie de vivre – the joy of living, the exuberant, buoyant enjoyment of life? It exists within each of us, and is available to us in every moment if we'll take the time to open up to it. Sadly, many of...
11 Jul, 2022
To start off our series on Opening to Joy , it seems appropriate to define joy. I don’t want us to get hung up on semantics, so let’s make sure we’re all on the same page. When I refer to joy, I don’t mean “happiness.” Heaven forbid that you...
28 Jun, 2022
Once a month, Julie and I go over and offer a worship service at St. Monica’s. Just this last Thursday, when the service was over, I was chatting and picking up bulletins to take them home and recycle them and I came upon a woman who was...
20 Jun, 2022
“Forgive Me” Forgive me dear father For all the trouble I caused The missed curfews The missed classes Your unfulfilled dreams for me Forgive me dear father But your dreams are not my dreams Forgive me dear father And I will forgive you For...
14 Jun, 2022
What if the intention of (what we call) the Beatitudes in Matthew 5, was to remind everyone of their role as the Beloved of God no matter what they were going through? People in ancient times operated with a belief that God only blessed you if...
06 Jun, 2022
When most of us think of someone blessings someone else we think of a pastor or priest, most likely in a formal ritual like a baptism or marriage, and possibly with hand motions or laying on of hands. John O' Donohue, in his book "To Bless the...