“The Monks are back. School must have started…”

…this is what I wrote recently in my journal, totaling the entries to two (2), because it’s a beautiful leather bound journal I received as a gift for Christmas years ago and I don’t want to mess it up with my scribbling.
So what I wrote must have, in hindsight, been pretty important.  And now, upon [...]

Congratulations, President Obama!!

“No” and “The Law Of Nature:” Reflections of G. MacDonald 7 & 8

7:
When we say that God Love, do we teach men that their fear of Him is groundless?  No.  As much as they fear will come upon them, possibly far more… The wrath will consume what they call themselves; so that the selves God made shall appear.
8:
For that which cannot be shaken shall remain.  That which [...]

The Unawakened: Reflections on G. MacDonald 5

Can it be any comfort to them to be told that God loves them so that He will burn them clean?…They do not want to be clean, and they cannot bear to be tortured.

Inexorable Love: Reflections on G. MacDonald 2

Nothing is inexorable but love.  Love which will yield to prayer is imperfect and poor.  Nor is it then the love that yields, but its alloy…For love loves unto purity.  Love has ever in view the absolute loveliness of that which it beholds.  Where loveliness is incomplete, and love cannot love its fill of loving, [...]

Reflections on Two Dead Squirrels

I suppose dead squirrels are the norm of death in suburban America. Aside from the ominous “Estate Sale, Next Right” signs that periodically pop up around my neighborhood (Williamsburg used to be zoned just for senior citizens until a few years ago, therefore seeing these signs are not unusual. Perhaps the area was rezoned due [...]

Time to Breathe…

At last!  Ten minutes to 7 on Sunday night, and I am finding some downtime to enjoy after a hectic afternoon of lesson planning and certification work.  The week looks fairly planned out, with room for the unexpected, if need be.
Today’s liturgy at Emmanuel offered strength to face the afternoon.  Last week- pretty bad.  On [...]

A Sense of Unity

One might say that the mantra of the election campaign was “Change,” and it well might still be that as President-elect Obama transitions into the White House. However, I am getting a strong sense of the word “Unity” as well, and not just in American politics. Lately my thoughts have been on the ecumenical role [...]

The Future of Christianity: In Christ, which means…

A recent post online detailed the difficulties inherent in a Christian-Pagan dialogue with missional Christians. Pagans see themselves as targets for conversion, “dehumanized” as mere objects of saving. They are considered by some missional Christians to be “lost” and “unreached.”
This discussion cuts to the core of ecumenical framework of religious tolerance needed to replace [...]

George Carlin

This morning I did not expect to hear George Carlin’s name on NPR.   With great sadness, I heard he passed away last night.
It seems odd to say, but Carlin was a big help to me on my spiritual path.  I always saw him as a bit of a prophet, relentlessly pointing out the quirks, [...]