Subscribe To

We love lists. One of the easiest parts of a conversation around church or religion is simply to list beliefs. Beliefs are no small things. Words become worlds. No space then to disparage or denigrate beliefs. And we need movement to more. We need faith. So, what is the difference between faith and...

It was the third person I witnessed experiencing a drug overdose. Frightening. They do indeed turn blue. And all three, thankfully, survived.This person, last Tuesday, overdosed while eating dinner at a local shelter. Many miracles obviously but one particularly striking was the gentle, un-anxious...

One of the hardest elements of the spiritual life to accept is the now-shifted concept of “success.”

Churches are often known by their “thing.” Jesuits are known for their work in educational circles. Franciscans for their work with the poor. And yes, there is a group of Mennonites known, in their quest for unadorned simplicity, as “black bumper Mennonites.”

Years ago, mainstream American culture moved away from being a church-going culture.  Though still true in parts of the country, the idea of consistent, Sunday church attendance as part of a dedicated weekly routine shifted dramatically. 

In a beautiful line of theology, Emanuel Swedenborg writes, “Fruit born of love bears the seed.”  That process is at the heart of our faith journey.   A place where we come to both love our neighbor, and have faith in our neighbor as well.

It is interesting to witness how something virtuous can be turned to a vice over time.  A simple concept, “We are here to save the world”, is one such example.  Listening to “The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill” on Podcast brought this home.

Don’t lose the day with fear or worry.  Don’t lose the day with distraction.  Don’t lose the day with entertainment or comfort.  Don’t lose the day with anger or drama.  Simply put, don’t lose the day.

An old adage reads well – we believe that a good life engenders gratitude yet, in reality, gratitude engenders a good life. “To be a saint [then] is to be filled with gratitude … nothing more and nothing less.” (Anne Voskamp)