Category Archives: Spirituality

The Daily Office is not the only form of daily devotional practice available to Episcopalians, much less to Christians as a whole. Given that the Daily Office emerged from the monastic cycle of Image via Wikipedia prayers, another very appropriate … Continue reading →

The gospel reading for today is John 10:7-17, part of the “Good Shepherd” discourse found in Chapter 10 generally. A favorite and familiar passage, it presents a comforting image of Jesus as a benevolent, self-sacrificing shepherd willing to lay down … Continue reading →

Today the Church calendar celebrates the Holy Innocents; in Matthew’s gospel, the story goes that King Herod, hearing from the Magi of the birth of a “King of the Jews” and fearing for his throne, orders all male infants in … Continue reading →

I’ve been thinking a good deal on the nature of mission and what it means to have a calling from God.  Much of my spiritual life the past six years has been focused on discerning my calling and identifying my … Continue reading →

The Gospel reading for today is Luke 7:36-50.  In it, Jesus is dining at the home of a Pharisee named Simon; a woman, known to be “a sinner,” arrives and proceeds to wash Jesus’ feet with her tears, drying them … Continue reading →

I’ve said many times before that scripture taken out of context can become a terrible weapon in the hands of the narrow-minded. Two of today’s readings are an example of this: Acts 13:44-52 and John 10:19-30. Both readings are about … Continue reading →

Today is the Feast of the Transfiguration, celebrating an event described in Luke 9:28-36 where Christ is revealed in full glory (transfigured) on a mountain top, attended by Moses and Elijah (representatives of the Law and the Prophets) and witnessed … Continue reading →

Call it divine providence or just one of life’s funny little quirks, but once in a while I experience a thought-provoking convergence of otherwise disparate elements of my daily existence. My friends know of my involvement in a men’s organization … Continue reading →

Today’s gospel reading, Matthew 16:1-12,takes place after Matthew’s version of the miracle of bread and fish. After another in a series of confrontations with Pharisees and Sadducees, Jesus tells his disciples to “Take heed and beware of the leaven of … Continue reading →

There’s an old military truism that states that no plan survives contact with the enemy. My enemy is inertia: all too easily, I can find an excuse not to sit down at the computer and compose a post for this … Continue reading →