Mornings with Merton
I’m still slooowly making my way through the classic introduction to the contemplative life by Cistercian monk Thomas Merton. I read/listen to a few paragraphs each day on my morning…
Renovation of the Heart
Dallas Willard has been a guiding light and master sage for many pastors who believe at the center of their craft is the call to deeper inner transformation of the…
Weekly Dig: “Magic Wand Spirituality”
LECTIONARY REFLECTION | 18th SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST 2 Kings 5:1-3, 7-15c This week we’ll board a plane and take the kids to Disney World – the Magic Kingdom where all…
Henri’s Blessing
A great companion for the “Pilgrimage of the Soul” and contemplative journey is Father Henri Nouwen. His writings are vast and very simple and down to earth. A great place…
Three Enemies of the Soul
For centuries, apprentices of Jesus have spoken of the “three enemies of the soul” – the world, the flesh, and the devil. As the sources of temptation, they are viewed as…
What makes a good life?
What keeps us happy and healthy as we go through life? If you think it’s fame and money, you’re not alone – but, according to psychiatrist Robert Waldinger, you’re mistaken.…
Weekly Dig: “Genies & Masters”
LECTIONARY REFLECTION | 17th SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST LUKE 17:5-10 One of the hardest things to keep in balance is the fact that Jesus Christ is both “lover of our soul”…
‘Marvelous Things, Charged with Terror’
I’ve retreated for a night (or two) to one of my favorite sanctuaries, the St. John’s Abbey in Collegeville, MN. What better reading at a monastery than St. John Chrysostom’s…
