Monthly Archives: June 2011

Ponderings: Does God Text?

Posted on June 30, 2011 by

If you’re willing to cut me some slack in this post, I hope it will have a message for us all.  If you can separate functionality from meaning, you’ll be off on the right foot.  If you’ll remember that I … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Shepherd’s Care: Sabbath

Posted on June 29, 2011 by

For many of us, the final segment of Jesus’ invitation to the apostles will be the one that touches us the most: the invitation to “rest awhile.” After monitoring my own life and interacting with other clergy for decades, I … Continue reading →

Posted in Shepherd's Care

Desert Wisdom: Burglarized

Posted on June 28, 2011 by

We continue our review of Book Eight of The Desert Fathers, “Nothing Done for Show.”  The following story reveals another aspect of the danger of living by appearances. The monks praised a brother to Antony.  Antony went to him and … Continue reading →

Posted in Desert Wisdom

Listenings: The Ruling Fact of Existence

Posted on June 27, 2011 by

People live by an integrated value system, even if they are not consciously aware of it a lot of the time.  In historic philosophy and theology the dominant value systems have been described as money, sex, and power—or more currently, … Continue reading →

Posted in Listenings

The Holy Gospel: June 26, 2011 (Year A)

Posted on June 25, 2011 by

Read:  Matthew 10:40-42 Meditation:  “Achievable Discipleship” One of the faults of some approaches to discipleship is that they look like they are meant for super-saints, for men and women who appear to be “spiritual olympians.”  Nothing turns people away from … Continue reading →

Posted in The Holy Gospel

Benedict’s Rule: Pastoral Atmosphere

Posted on June 24, 2011 by

The abbot or abbess knew they could not care properly for a community without help.  So, in Chapter 21 of the Rule there is provision to recruit deans to serve as under-shepherds.  The purpose was that a pastoral atmosphere would … Continue reading →

Posted in Benedict's Rule

Ponderings: The Heart of Jesus

Posted on June 23, 2011 by

Each morning I visit “the great cloud of witnesses” by reading about the saint of the day, as designated by our Roman Catholic friends.  I have been blessed to meet a wide variety of men and women—ancient and modern—who have … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized