Reflecting on the long-term impact of the Bubonic Plague (1346-1353) sweeping across Europe and ravaging his native Florence, the poet Petrarch wrote: “O happy posterity, who will not experience such abysmal woe and will look upon our testimony as a…
Focus on ‘we’ rather than ‘me’ when praying, professor counsels
Although Rick Landon never has taught English grammar, he has urged students to choose their pronouns carefully. Paying attention to pronouns while praying is one way to start nurturing a closer relationship with God, said Landon, who recently retired as…
My cancer journey: ‘May the peace of God swaddle your world’
In her poem “The Fourth Sign of the Zodiac,” Mary Oliver observes that the fox and the snake move silently in the woods. And then she asks why we should be surprised that cancer could silently enter the forest of…
Three suggestions for Christians preparing to vote
There are record numbers of people voting in the 2020 election, so far. This is a good thing. However, for some, there is a temptation to walk away from it all. We seem to live in an anger-filled, 24-hour-a-day, 365-days-a-year…
How does prayer work? I don’t know, yet I believe
“I’m praying for you.” I’m interested in these words, what they say and what they mean — to the sender and the receiver — and I’m curious about how easy this is for some people to say, and how difficult…
An October prayer
Note: This is not a simulation. This is exactly the state of my prayer life right now. “It feels like a bill has come due and God is collecting.” —White House source to Joe Scarborough, Twitter, 8:38 a.m. October 7,…
Some thoughts on praying for the president by seeking flourishing for all
To say I was anxious during our time of corporate prayer last Sunday is an understatement. How would my congregants handle the news of Donald Trump’s COVID-19 diagnosis, and how would they pray for him and the First Lady? It…
A walking guide to praying in your home
I was reminded of a prayer practice when I read our pastor’s plea for “purposeful prayer for a world that is very much in need of God’s healing.” As the California fires continue destroying homes and lives, 2020’s disastrous news…
Five ideas for pandemic praying
A young professional in my church recently reached out to me with some prayer concerns. As we talked on the phone, he searched for words. It turns out he was struggling with more than his prayer life; he was struggling…