Sustainable Faith: Retreats
I have been refreshed and revitalized by a number of visits to the retreat center at Vineyard Central. Dave and Jodi Nixon are wonderfully gracious hosts and spiritual directors. Dave also gave input at the SMC annual church retreat in 2005.
Dave says it takes courage to intentionally make time for retreat, for contemplation. We are [...]
In a number of settings recently at SMC, I have been asked about vision for church as a missional community (I am particularly thinking of Melissa’s questions). I feel like I have not yet done justice to answering these questions. It involves a radical re-imagining of church. It doesn’t mean we change the center from historic [...]
Thomas Nelson is publishing the first ever Orthodox Study Bible. Here is the way Amazon presents this Bible:
The FIRST EVER Orthodox Study Bible presents the Bible of the early church and the church of the early Bible.
Orthodox Christianity is the face of ancient Christianity to the modern world and embraces the second largest body of [...]
Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training…. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave…. 1 Corinthians 9:25-27
Lent begins next week. Easter is early this year–March 23 in Western Christianity. Thinking [...]
Advent 1 Meditation
Almighty God, give all of us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in [...]
As the deer pants for streams of water,
so I long for you, O God.
I thirst for God, the living God.
When can I come and stand before him?
Day and night, I have only tears for food,
while my enemies continually taunt me, saying,
“Where is this God of yours?”
My heart is breaking
as I remember how is used to [...]
Most holy and merciful Father:I confess to you and to the whole communion of saints in heaven and on earth.
I have not loved you with my whole heart, and mind, and strength.
I have not loved my neighbors as myself.
I have not forgiven others, as I have been forgiven.
Have mercy on me, Lord.
I have been deaf [...]
Haven’t had much time to blog lately. Ira is on sabbatical so I’m picking up with a few more things at SMC. Extra time given to refugee support as well.
Just haven’t had any energy left for the blogging discipline. Blogging as a spiritual discipline for the Christian contemplative.
I have been thinking for some time that [...]
To the degree that we accept that through Christ we ourselves have been reconciled with God we can be messengers of reconciliation for others. Essential to the work of reconciliation is a nonjudgmental presence. We are not sent to the world to judge, to condemn, to evaluate, to classify, or to label. When we walk [...]
At Black Rock yesterday and today. Here are some of the photos from our time down there yesterday. Richard and Jewel Showalter are with us also giving input. I hope I am able to bat and run the bases when I’m almost 80 years old like Mr. Frey. What a gift…for him to be [...]
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