The Celtic Monk

My spiritual journey along with taking me inward to a deep interior life -- occasionally takes me outward in search of new ways, new experiences, new things. This week my quest for God brought me to St. John's Abbey in Collegeville Minnesota...to spend a week practicing the art of group spiritual direction with friends from the Shalem Institute. Our time together since Thursday has been rich indeed. Full days of being both intentional and gentle with one another as we intend together to open space for God to speak into our lives and our spirits. It is as fully as I've ever experienced a prayerfully orchestrated kairos moment where waiting on God takes precedence over all else. It's an exercise in trust and freedom... where a core experience and gift we offer one another is a total lack of judgment. There are no fixing conversations...no oughts, shoulds, or subtle spiritual one-ups-man-ship conversations. It's an intentional time of grace. Outside the ten foot by

As I tiptoe through Mark's Gospel, I continue to be aware of his reality based description of the disciples. Mark sugar coats nothing about this gangly bunch who at one moment appear to understand profound truths and in the next display the insight of a toad. Time and again Jesus shows them the mysteries of a life of faith and they fail to understand. So time and again Jesus gathers them around and once more teaches them all that human eyes and understanding cannot comprehend. I've to come to believe it's not in the grasping of holy truth, it's not in our perfect understanding much less perfect execution of holiness that God looks for in a disciple. [consider Peter] Rather, God looks for the mystical center of a disciple: a heart that is willing to break over the things that break God's heart; men and women who daily waste time with Him and have the conviction to act on what they find in those encounters. The mystical center of a disciple is seeded and establi

The lesson of this mornings sermon was how to reflect the LIGHT that God sent into the world, rather than being part of the quarelling darkness for which Paul chastizes the church in Corinth. It was a call to a way of life instructed not by human understanding -- but by the deeper things of God which can be ours when we seek them. Living in the LIGHT demands more of us than being a clanging cymbal; yet we all have the potential to live as brightly shining lamps. It does however take intention on our part. We must choose to reflect our higher calling. We must desire to be God's witnesses in season and out. We must make time to devote to 'gazing on God, and having God gaze on us.' Being LIGHT is what we offer God as our grateful response for all God has done for us. It doesn't happen by accident or mindlessly, but only with our will submitted to Christ. Being a clanging cymbal is much easier. To be a clanging cymbal all we have to do is engage our mouth with any tho

Friends have come to our aid in ways great and small since hearing about our car accident on Saturday morning. The phone calls and emails have meant so much. The loan of a vehicle for Sean and Shana, who don't have rental car insurance, was over the top. It's an amazing thing belonging to the Body of Christ, and to the Presbyterian Church in Peace River. I thank God at every remembrance of each of you who have reached out to us in Christian love. While we wait for insurance companies to sort out the mess of tangled cars and wait to learn what we need to do next, I am aware of the blessing of having all four of us: Sam, me, Isaac and Lauren walk away from so much destruction. Polly said it well, "your angel was with you." Presbyterian's aren't known for speaking about angels much, for which there are likely myriad reasons. Such spiritual beings seem alternately spooky, childish or anti-intellectual to most. Not worth considering to others. And yet... Over the y