Advocate is the name for the Holy Spirit mentioned in the gospel of John, the reading a few weeks ago in my church. “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever.’ John 14: 16 At first this word seems cold, harsh ,and maybe even distant until I dug into its true meaning. John’s gospel calls the Spirit the parakletos or Advocate, a term for someone who is called to one’s side as a source of help. In modern contexts someone may serve as an advocate in the court system, in the health care network, or in an educational institution, while other advocates may press the legislature to act on behalf of a certain cause. The word parakletos is difficult to translate properly because it has a range of meanings in the Greek, all of which are meant by John. English translations variously translate it Comforter, Advocate, Counselor, and Helper. But I have a favorite translation. Here is a story I heard from a pastor: “A friend … [Read more...]
Forgiveness – A Complex, Challenging, and Heavy Practice
F stands for forgiveness. Forgiveness is a pillar of a healthy spirituality. In 2023 I plan to explore different building blocks, components, the essential nutrients that support a vibrant strong life with God. I hope to learn, study, and share thoughts about these various aspects and hope they bring fresh insights to all of our earthly journeys as God continues to shape our souls. I am also participating in a yearlong “Reading the Sacred in Everyday Life” program by SpiritualityandPractice.com. Each week we study an alphabet practice through readings, movie clips, discussion, presentations, quotes, poems and many other rich thought-provoking and heart-stretching words. This site actually offers 37 practices, so some letters are repeated twice. F stood for faith. F also represented forgiveness. Faith appears easy at first, but the readings burrowed new perspectives deep into my being. But forgiveness pushed me into uncomfortable realities of wounds long buried and concepts … [Read more...]
Little Words Lessons
Little words hold power. I should know this by this point in my life, but I still am discovering often it is the simple, seemingly unimportant words that deepen our understanding and light our way. Minor words we don’t fully see that connect thoughts and sooth our souls. They exist and add to our lives but we don’t value or savor them. I see this wonder every year with my practice of adopting and exploring a word of the year. Two years ago my word was “Go’ and last year I walked with “all.” Two unassuming words offering me wisdom and insights. This year instead of one word, God led me to a phrase. “Honor the thirst deep within.” The obvious power words to study and explore in this sentence is “honor”, “thirst” and “deep” and I have learned from analyzing and pondering those words. Yet on retreat this year that tiny almost tacked-on word at the end of my phrase “within” sprang into my spirit and shared its story. To be honest I hadn’t paid attention to its presence but … [Read more...]
What’s Saving My Life Right Now?
What’s saving my life right now? Now. At this present moment. What is life-giving, uplifting, refreshing and stirring my spirit? What’s saving my life right now is a question Emily Freeman (A true mentor of mine) asks frequently. She discovered this question in a book by Barbara Brown Taylor (another mentor of mine!) in her book, Leaving Church. Taylor shares the story of being a guest speaker at an event. When she asked for her topic, this was her host’s request: “Tell us what is saving your life right now.” These words invite us to pause, reflect, and savor what is giving us life at this moment. When I relistened to Emily’s podcast and what she was noticing in her life, that question dug deep into my soul. What is saving my life right now? What’s Saving My Life? Journaling – I know writing in a journal isn’t for everyone but wrestling with words to express my prayers, my desires, my longings, my hurts brings me healing and draws me closer to God. This is an … [Read more...]
Retreat Recap
Going on retreat is an essential spiritual discipline for me. Time for silence and learning informs the mind and forms the spirit. I leave refreshed, renewed, transformed – not quite the same as I arrived. If you are interested in learning more about retreats, I usually write a blog post about them several times a year. Just go to this sidebar on the right, enter “retreat” in the search button and you will find many, hopefully inspiring, posts here about this spiritual practice. I just returned from a four-day silent retreat and often get questions about what I experienced, learned, and heard. I spend the last day of retreat summarizing, harvesting my journal, emotions and lessons, then reread them once at home – a continual fountain of blessing. Retreat Recap Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty,my memory, my understanding,and my entire will,All I have and call my own. You have given all to me.To you, Lord, I return it. Everything is yours; do with … [Read more...]
Four Somethings – March 2023
Four Somethings is the spiritual practice of remembering, reviewing, and savoring life’s lessons and sacred moments in our lives. So occasionally I share bits of wisdom in four categories. Gathering Four Somethings makes me aware of all the blessings often hidden under busyness, worries, and distractions. These “somethings” become markers in our spiritual journey. With so much pivoting and uncertainty in our lives right now, being grounded in a simple practice like this guides my way. Something Wise “Holiness comes wrapped in the ordinary. There are burning bushes all around you. Every tree is full of angels. Hidden beauty is waiting in every crumb. Life wants to lead you from crumbs to angels, But this can happen only if you are willing to unwrap the ordinary By staying with it long enough to harvest its treasure.” Macrina Wiederkehr Something Wonderful I was studying the spiritual discipline of seeing beauty and learned a new to me … [Read more...]
Pondering the Pillars of a Healthy Spirituality – Humility
I humbly present the next pillar of a healthy spirituality - humility. I don’t hear cheers and loud applause for this virtue. I know I hesitated even to invite humility to come to this blog, but felt it had insights for our spiritual walk. In 2023 I plan to explore different building blocks, components, the essential nutrients that support a vibrant strong life with God. I hope to learn, study, and share thoughts about these various aspects and hope they bring fresh insights to all of our earthly journeys as God continues to shape our souls. This is our second exploration of one of the characteristics of a healthy spirituality: humility and being humble. You can read about the first one. Be Awake, here. Be Humble Do you know this old song by Mac Davis? Oh Lord, it's hard to be humbleWhen you're perfect in every wayI can't wait to look in the mirror'Cause I get better lookin' each dayTo know me is to love meI must be a heck of a manOh Lord, it's hard to be … [Read more...]
Lenten Devotional
Lent, one of my favorite listening to God seasons, begins with Ash Wednesday, Feb 22. Lent is the season before Easter lasting 40 days, not counting Sundays. It is a time to reflect and remember our relationship with God. This time presents an opportunity for us to focus and draw closer to our Lord. One Lenten practice is to read a particular book/devotional during the season. There are many great ones available, even one written by me a few years ago. 40 Voices – A Lenten Devotional captures the words and settings surrounding Jesus the final week of his human life. We hear the stories with new insights for us today and showing us the transformational power of the cross. Each devotion ends with an image, a question, and a prayer. Here is an excerpt from one chapter: “Hosanna! Not the most common word in our everyday language. I have said it during church services and sung it in hymns. I’ve read it in the Bible and heard it proclaimed on Easter morning. I assumed … [Read more...]