Things I No Longer Believe
“No eye has seen, nor ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him – but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.” (1 Cor. 2:9) What I have discovered is that our faith can sometimes be more about unlearning than learning. The old wineskins of ...
Decluttering Our Souls…and Our Closets
"Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions." (Luke 2:15) Lent is all about taking an honest look at our cluttered lives and taking stock. It is a time when we take time to notice all the “dust” that has ...
For the One Who is Exhausted
by John O'Donohue Lent gives permission to stop. To take inventory of how our life is unfolding. If you are exhausted, let this and allow it to bring rest to your runaway soul. When the rhythm of the heart becomes hectic, Time takes on the strain until it breaks; Then all the unattended stress falls ...
Holy Ground Under Our Feet
“The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.” Mark 15:38, Matt. 27:51, Luke 23:45 Two great columns flanked the doors leading from the outer courtyard into the Temple. Inside, there were two thick curtains (veils; that some say were eighteen inches thick), that separated this place from the rest of ...
On Becoming Fully Devoted
"To be mature is to be basic. Christ! No more, no less. That’s what I’m working so hard at day after day, year after year, doing my best with the energy God so generously gives me." (Col.1:28, MSG) A phrase we sometimes hear in church is about becoming “fully devoted followers of Jesus.” This is ...
Saint Theresa’s Prayer
St. Teresa of Avila, a Carmelite nun, wrote this beautiful prayer in the 16th century that has been used throughout the centuries. It is simple in its format, which is why many turn to it in times of distress. If you are feeling afraid or anxious right now, consider praying this prayer, opening your heart ...
Day #19 Prayer: A New Place to Begin
We turn our thoughts for the next few days to prayer…an integral part of our Lenten journey. I know some of us may cringe when prayer is mentioned because we feel like we are so bad at it, and we feel guilty for not “measuring up.” If we are honest, we might admit our experience ...
DAY 18 – Corporate Confession
“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” James 5:16 (NOTE: This was written as a reflection during Lent after a time of corporate confession with one of my spiritual formation groups.) When I first mentioned the idea of ...
Day 17 – Confession: Coming Clean
Lent is the season for coming out of the shadows and coming clean. It is also the season for being renewed and restored. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:19 By now, our practices of self-awareness, solitude, and the ...
Day #16 The Prayer of Examen
The formalized practice of this spiritual discipline dates back to the 16th century but grows out of the words and intentions recorded in Psalm 139:23-24, where the Psalmist says, “Search me, O God, and know my heart, test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any hurtful way in me, and lead ...
Gail Johnsen 