It is easy to give ourselves over to revelry, to see revelry as a way to hide from pain or fear. Revelry is not a hiding place. It is not a sanctuary which allows us to escape real life for a short time. We discover ourselves moment by moment. We are not caught up in […]
Revelry in the Present Moment Read More »
Tripp Hudgins is a friend of mine who I have never met in person, which is a little surprising because we are on similar paths. We have each lived in Virginia, Illinois, and now in California, though I have also lived in Wisconsin. Our paths also incorporate being both Baptist and Episcopalian. As you can
Guest Post: Community & Liturgy Read More »
It is sometimes a challenge for me to remember the horizon. I tend to become focused on what is in front of me. My attention gets absorbed in the immediate decision we are trying to make, the specific question we are trying to answer, the person facing me who wants my help. When I walk,
Pub Theology by Bryan Berghoef is based in the belief that “good things happen when we sit down at the same table together and talk honestly about things that matter; frankly, having a beer does not hurt.” It is a book that speaks about things I value deeply: honesty about things that matter, openness and
Book Review: Pub Theology Read More »
I have had a long and complex relationship with the truth. As a young child, I was brought up always to tell the truth. It was clear to me that there was the truth, and everything else was not the truth. Learning the truth was like solving a puzzle, finding the right answer. Not knowing
The Whole Truth & Nothing But the Truth Read More »
Each summer, at the end of August, I spend some time at New Camaldoli Hermitage and Monastery in Big Sur, California. I am there this week, listening to silence. New Camaldoli has become a second home to me. I am a lay person who has been received into the community, known as a lay oblate.
Listening to Silence Read More »
I belong to a liturgical church. Each week, we remind ourselves of the story that brings us together, and we share a meal. When the meal is ready, each of us gets up, walks to the front of the service to receive it, and returns to where we were sitting. Sometimes we wait in line. Sometimes
Send Us Out to Love and Serve Read More »
Susan Isaacs is a friend of mine. We go to church together, usually a couple of rows apart. In her book, Angry Conversations With God, Susan persuades God to go with her to couples counseling. It is a book that every spiritual director needs to read. Susan’s solo show of Angry Conversations opens in Southern
StrategicMonk Interview: Susan Isaacs: Part One Read More »
People ask quite a few questions about the name Strategic Monk. Where did you get that name? What kind of a name is that? What does that mean? What was that name again? Most of the questions are about the monk part. People want to know whether I am a real monk, and what my
Why the Strategic Monk? Read More »
I am coming to value the power of hidden depths. I am learning that the people and places which do not promote themselves, which are more hidden, are often worth the time and patience it takes to explore them. Listening, waiting, and being open can be more helpful that I ever imagined. It is important
