Spiritual Practices

We live in a time when there is nearly always someone or something shouting at us. We are immersed in noise from the time we get out of bed to when we try to go to sleep. People, advertising, websites, podcasts, social networks, music all compete for our attention. It is true. We cannot hear ourselves think. Which does […]

We believe in the power of holding on tight. We surround ourselves with things we have accumulated, grasping them poignantly. We hold onto artifacts of our lives, treating them like memories. We believe life is the sum total of what we have acquired. We measure ourselves by the friends, lovers, information, experiences, property we have amassed. We

Spiritual life is more than a feeling, more than an idea, more than how we see the world. We do more than experience spiritual life. We put spiritual life into practice. Our spiritual practices do not make us better people, more deserving of love. We do not practice spiritual life to earn rewards or punishments.

I spent more than my usual share of time this week in waiting rooms. I generally do not enjoy waiting, though I am becoming more willing to practice patience. Rooms which are specifically intended for waiting often have specific hazards designed into them. I have learned to avoid watching anything that might be on a television, especially

Some people appear to believe spiritual life is all about getting things. We may pray to receive specific objects, as if God were like a celestial Amazon or Netflix. We would love to have a new car or move into a different house, and we pray to obtain it. We begin to see spiritual life as

Walking is important to me. I walk whenever I can. I relate to other people differently when I walk than when I drive. We all walk at our own pace. Sometimes we amble along, sometimes we stride with purpose. Walking gives us time to reflect, to breathe well, and to pray. My prayer is fairly intentional

Easter was here just a week ago. After weeks of preparing and practicing in Lent, Easter exploded in light and celebration. There were hours of special church services over three days last week. Social media feeds were filled with photos of family gatherings and resurrection memes. Children hunted for hidden eggs. The air was filled with

I belong to a liturgical church. We spend three days this week moving from the season of Lent into the season of Easter. Today is the third and final day. Tonight we will get together for my favorite service of the year, the Great Vigil of Easter. Tonight, in the darkness, we will mark the moment Lent is over

I belong to a liturgical church. We spend three days this week moving from the season of Lent into the season of Easter. The second of these three days, today is called Good Friday. We spend today remembering some very painful, challenging events. Many people find it particularly ironic, and confusing, to call today Good Friday. Why is Good Friday specifically