The Gospel of John tells us that on his last night with his disciples, Jesus got down on his knees in the posture of a servant and washed his disciples dirty feet. This, he was saying, is what it means to be his disciple. As we move through this day, are we willing to be […]
The disciple Peter was called by Jesus the ‘rock’ upon which he built his Church. He was also the disciple who denied Jesus three times in his hour of greatest need. He was saint, and he was sinner. He stands for all of us. To what extent do we try to see people as strictly […]
This is Holy Week — the week we remember the story that is central to our faith. Before we get to the message of life victorious over death, the story leads us into the deepest darkness. Where in our lives have we known such darkness? How alone Jesus must have felt in that final week […]
Today is Palm Sunday. As we go to worship, can we let minds be open to hear whatever God wish to speak to us? Can we be open to the surprising things that God may say to us — things we did not expect?
Contemplate these words by John Carmody, written when he was seriously ill: “When you deal with people seriously ill, either yourself or others, try to honor the eloquence of God’s silence. Babble if you must, as I have babbled here, but accept every invitation to desist. If the illness is your own, go for a […]
To flow with, or against, the flow of life. “We are so made that we can choose either to flow with the universe and grow toward God’s dream for us or to set ourselves against the tide and refuse to move. This is why the element of desire is so important. If it is present, […]
Encountering the depths of the people you meet. It is difficult to fathom the depth and potential of each person you meet. This depth and potential are like treasures hidden in a field. The field is that surface self that shows at first glance, but oh, the resources to be found within! Each person is […]
C.S. Lewis wrote the following words regarding the importance of making room to listen to God at the start of each day: The real problem of the Christian life comes where people do not usually look for it. It comes the very moment you wake up each morning. All your wishes and hopes for the […]
For the rest of this week, our daily readings will consist of short quotes to ponder, with the hope that you will follow the reading with a time of open-ended prayer and reflection, allowing the Holy Spirit to lead you in your thoughts. Today, let us begin by pondering these words by Philip Yancey: I […]
We are drawing closer to Holy Week. Jesus is drawing closer to Jerusalem. Can we walk more closely with him? Can we carry what we experience in our moments of private prayer out into the world with us? Consider these words written by Thomas Kelley, a Quaker who wrote in the 1940s: “Begin where you […]
