“He who attempts to act and do things for others or for the world without deepening his own self-understanding, freedom, integrity and capacity to love, will not have anything to give others.” ~ Thomas Merton It’s an understandable declaration: “Praying…
Building the muscles of a posture of grace
I have terrible pain in my neck. On the right side, just under the skull. I can point right to it. It’s always in the same place. It can make normal activities like sleeping and driving almost torturous at times….
Celebration a key discipline like fasting and prayer, ministers say
Spiritual formation usually brings to mind practices like contemplative prayer and fasting, silence and meditation, walking the labyrinth and celebration. Wait, celebration?
Your commute as a spiritual discipline
My morning commute reminds me that I am not the Christian I should be. I drive nine miles to my job — two miles of neighborhood, three miles of suburban commerce, and four miles of houses close enough to Atlanta…
Things a Christian can learn during Ramadan
Ramadan begins on June 28th. Ramadan is the month when people who follow Islam fast from the time the sun comes up until it goes down. They do this for 30 days. Sometimes my Muslim friends laugh at me because…
Embrace the darkness
It’s always a priceless moment on Daylight Savings Sunday. As the crowd that set their clocks ahead leave worship, those who didn’t enter the sanctuary a bit bewildered. Being a staff minister, it’s always a restless night, for fear that…