A Model of Discipleship The Gospels show us a model of discipleship that involves three primary action steps: receiving, responding, and resting. At first, the disciples are simply people who are listening to Jesus. They are learning and receiving from him. Then he entrusts them to go out teaching and serving on their own. After this, he teaches them how to rest and recover in the same way that he does. This process of learning and growing is for the... Read more
Creating Images of Separation and Connection One of my first classes at George Fox Evangelical Seminary was called “Knowing Self Knowing God”. We discussed the idea that while we respond to the reality of our situation, we also respond to our understanding of reality. I don’t just interact with you as you are, I also interact with the image of you I have created in my mind. This image gathers data from you, and includes my own history, assumptions, and... Read more
Who Will Roll Away the Stone? When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. They had been saying to one another, ‘Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?’ When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was... Read more
Love Is the Model The Rule of Life is a supportive resource that can enrich, challenge, and renew our rhythm of being. It originated with St. Benedict, an Italian monk who both founded monasteries and wrote the Rule of Monasteries in 529AD. This Rule was meant for the shared life of monks, but the concept has been adapted for individuals by many organizations. This model from the Gospel Coalition teaches a Rule of Life stemming from our relationship to God,... Read more
Pioneers In Ordination February is Black History Month, and it’s a wonderful time to celebrate the legacy of Absalom Jones. Absalom Jones was born into slavery, but he taught himself to read using the New Testament. He saved up enough money to purchase the freedom of his wife and children, and then purchased his own freedom. Jones became a lay minister for the African-American parishioners at St. George’s Methodist Episcopal Church in Philadelphia. He ran this ministry alongside his friend... Read more
The Normalcy of Cleanness Valentine’s Day falls on Ash Wednesday this year. This combination of holidays can actually be an opportunity for deep connection. Will you be bringing your Valentine to church? Ash Wednesday is the first day of the season of Lent, when last year’s palms are burned and worn on our faces. This is wearing the story on our skin, not as an addition, but as an uncovering of what we believe to be there. In Mark 7,... Read more
A Particular Kind of Listening “Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord under Eli. The word of the Lord was rare in those days; visions were not widespread. At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his room; the lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was. Then the Lord called, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’... Read more
Contemplative Parenting and Control I have been on a journey of contemplative leadership, and that includes how to lead within my own home through contemplative parenting. There is a pervasive idea within our culture that we create change through exerting control over others. This leadership model is on full display all the way from young bullies on the playground to old bullies in each political party. In both scenarios, we are saying, “because I want this, you must do/lose that.” ... Read more
Formed By Liturgy I am reading the book, Walk in Love as part of my journey of being formed by liturgy in the Episcopal tradition. One quote from early in the book is: ‘Our liturgy – the words and actions of worship – is not about “each man for himself” or about “how I like to pray” or even how the priest likes to pray. Instead, we are keeping a tradition of worship that stretches through time and is shaped... Read more
Holding the Reality of Our Experience It can be difficult to admit when we’re holding grief at Christmas. In the movie, “Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown”, Charlie Brown says: “I think there must be something wrong with me, Linus. Christmas is coming, but I’m not happy. I don’t feel the way I’m supposed to feel.” For some of us, Christmas is the happiest time of the year. I’ve had times when I wanted it to be the happiest time of the... Read more
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