It was the Spring of 2000. There I was, a freshman at Trevecca Nazarene University, sitting in the class most feared by fledgling religion majors: Biblical Exegesis. Even the name makes a person want to duck for cover. It sounds like the sort of class you walk into wearing a hazmat suit and gloves beforeContinue reading “Our Motherly Father: God, Mom, and Prayer”
Tag Archives: prayer
The Rail
Erect, weathered, silently stalwart, lies the “rail” : the boundary between apse and chancel. It is the wooden boundary between heaven and earth, the pinnacle that acts as the liminal furniture connecting the two. Many of us miss it. We enter the church after making our way through the parking lot or courtyard, greet theContinue reading “The Rail”
We Become What We Pray: Final Thoughts On Confession
In this concluding post discussing gleanings through the practice of daily confession, I will note four areas of focus: We become what we pray Prayer sanctifies us The epiphany of grace that happens within confession Confession creates awareness that leads to proper witness. Firstly, the practice of daily Confession gives fresh meaning to the ancientContinue reading “We Become What We Pray: Final Thoughts On Confession”
The Daily Confession of Sin, Part 2: Being Mindful
When I mention engaging in a Daily Confession of Sin, I do not mean repeating daily the popularized version of the “sinners prayer,” in which one confesses they are a sinner before God in need of forgiveness, and then “accepts Jesus into their heart.” I am assuming that Daily Confession of Sin precludes that oneContinue reading “The Daily Confession of Sin, Part 2: Being Mindful”
The Daily Confession of Sin, Part I: A very Brief Introduction
It may be news to some that not all Christian traditions embrace a daily routine of confessing sin. Though Forgiveness is part and parcel of Christian teachings, for many, regular prayers of repentance would imply that one is indeed not Christian, or to use an old school nomenclature, that one has “back slid” or “fallenContinue reading “The Daily Confession of Sin, Part I: A very Brief Introduction”
Part 2: Becoming an Episcopalian: Using Written Prayers, Memorizing Prayer/Scripture, & Worship Space
*This post is part 2 of the previous post/reflections on my foray into Episcopalian piety. Please read part 1 for the theological context from which I come prior to being an Episcopalian. I below note three areas of piety that have been quite formative for me (two were noted in the previous post). I offer theseContinue reading “Part 2: Becoming an Episcopalian: Using Written Prayers, Memorizing Prayer/Scripture, & Worship Space”
Becoming an Episcopalian: Observations on Spiritual Practice In The Episcopal Church- Part 1
*This is Part 1 of a 3 part post. This series will offer observations on the following 8 subjects, the first 2 covered in this post: Praying the Psalter, The Role of Scripture, Praying Written Prayers, Memorizing Prayer/Scripture/Songs/Creeds, Worship Space, Role of the Sermon, Crossing Oneself, & affectionately Smells and Bells.* In January I embarked onContinue reading “Becoming an Episcopalian: Observations on Spiritual Practice In The Episcopal Church- Part 1”
Roots
As a young boy, my grandmother would often tell me, with her full blown mid-western Michigan accent “pick up your feet.” I would often turn around, look at her, my face becoming flush with embarrassment that I did not in fact “pick up my feet.” It was such stupid advice, common sense. A person cannotContinue reading “Roots”
Gutless Grieving: Taking Lamentations Seriously
Today, I have been fatherless for one month. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine my father dying of heart attack (no family history of them), suddenly leaving us without any opportunity to say “goodbye,” speak final words of love or simply say “thank you” for being a great father, a wonderful granddadContinue reading “Gutless Grieving: Taking Lamentations Seriously”
A Prayer of Lament & Forgiveness
How Lonely sits the city where silence now resides The doorways are clean and empty, the water basins full Yet, there are no ripples in the water No footprints in the walkways The corridors are silent- only filled with the tears of lament The joy of my heart has ceased, our dancing has been turnedContinue reading “A Prayer of Lament & Forgiveness “
ParanormalChrist 