Have there been times of the day or settings that have drawn you to be more focused and centered? How does that relate to spiritual practice? Another day begins. After pouring a cup of coffee, making my way to a familiar spot in my home, and lighting a candle near… Read More »Spiritual Practice
Is there something that’s part of your day, a small routine or ritual, that helps you to be more centered and focused? We often think of spiritual practice in terms of meditation, prayer, walking a labyrinth, or other activities that have an obvious foundation in a spiritual tradition. But spiritual… Read More »A Mid-Day Pause
How has experiencing nature inspired you? How has nature shaped your spiritual experience? The Hebrew Psalmist captured it well: “The heavens tell of your glory, O God, and the earth proclaims your handiwork. One day after another tells the story and night after night reveals knowledge. There is no speech,… Read More »The Gospel of Nature
Has there been a time when you did something important for a while? Then, because of other things you needed to do, you stopped doing it? Sometime later, you began to do it once again, and realized how important it actually was to you? E-merging. In January 2010, I began… Read More »Beginning Again
Let’s just admit something that’s simply true: life can be very difficult. For decades, war has raged in the Middle East and Central Asia with no real solution in sight as hundreds of thousands of refugees flee to Europe. Each day, children and youth are gunned-down in the streets of… Read More »Finding Light in the Darkness
The year was 1971. We sat in a classroom with desks in straight rows. The high school guidance counselor walked in as a hush fell upon the room. After dumping books and papers on the desk, he went to the chalk board and wrote, “Know Thyself.” The “guidance” class required… Read More »Exercise and Self-Knowledge: Dimensions of the Spiritual Path
It’s the kind of comment that isn’t made on my blog very often. I think that’s why it captivated my attention. As I thought about it, I hadn’t received one like it in the past. In response to one of my recent blog postings, a reader commented: “Let’s talk about… Read More »Writing: A Spiritual Practice
It’s not something I had previously said in a sermon or congregational meeting . It’s one of those things that I’ve said to friends and colleagues but when with general church members, I’ve held my tongue. But a few Sunday’s ago, the level of my frustration was rising and the… Read More »Am I a Buddhist?
