Jacob Jordaens, 'Prodigal Son,' 1640 (Wikimedia Commons). Luke 15:1-3, 11ff. (NRSVue). Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. 2 And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.” 3 So he told them this parable [...]:11 “There was a man who had two … Continue reading ‘Let me tell you a story’: Awkward truths about prodigal son(s), empire, pigsties and the interpretation of parables
Jonah, he’s my man: A reflection on politics, polarization and Ninevah, that great city whose people don’t know their right hand from their left (Sundays@6 journal 6)
Jona onder de wonderboom, Amsterdam, 1643 (Wikimedia Commons). Welp, it looks like this is my lucky week. I've struggled at times with a book we've been reading for Sundays@6, the adult faith formation that that Debi and I facilitate for our Lutheran parish church. But this week we're reading a chapter that invokes my favorite … Continue reading Jonah, he’s my man: A reflection on politics, polarization and Ninevah, that great city whose people don’t know their right hand from their left (Sundays@6 journal 6)
‘A little help from my friends’: A Jesuit spiritual exercise meets a song by John Lennon and Paul McCartney
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0C58ttB2-Qg Oh, I get by with a little help from my friends / Mm, I get high with a little help from my friends / Oh, gonna try with a little help from my friends -- John Lennon and Paul McCartney (1967). Full disclosure: This started out as an Ignatian contemplation, in which I intended … Continue reading ‘A little help from my friends’: A Jesuit spiritual exercise meets a song by John Lennon and Paul McCartney
‘After the final no comes a yes’: On new beginnings, Elaine Pagels and the empty tomb in the gospel of Mark (2 of 2)
2nd of 2 posts -- click HERE to see first post Pierre Jean Van der Ouderaa, “The Holy Women,” 1893 (Wikimedia Commons). Mark 16 (NRSVUE): 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. 2 And very early on the first … Continue reading ‘After the final no comes a yes’: On new beginnings, Elaine Pagels and the empty tomb in the gospel of Mark (2 of 2)
Swapping nativity stories with Jesus over the noon buffet at an Indian restaurant on Christmas day: A quasi-Jesuit exercise
Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem (Wikimedia Commons) What follows is my latest attempt at an Ignatian contemplation, which the Jesuit author James Martin defines as "using your imagination to place yourself in a scene from Scripture, or with Jesus." In this one I imagine myself in an F2F conversation today with Jesus. Certain culinary details … Continue reading Swapping nativity stories with Jesus over the noon buffet at an Indian restaurant on Christmas day: A quasi-Jesuit exercise
Fishers of men? — A Jesuit spiritual exercise that turned into a first-century Palestinian fish story (or parable?)
James Tissot, ‘Appearance of Christ,’ 1890. Brooklyn Museum (Wikimedia Commons) He comes as yet unknown into a hamlet of Lower Galilee. He is watched by the cold, hard eyes of peasants living long enough at a subsistence level to know exactly where the line is drawn between poverty and destitution. [...] Jesus, finding his own voice, … Continue reading Fishers of men? — A Jesuit spiritual exercise that turned into a first-century Palestinian fish story (or parable?)
Trying Ignatian contemplation with Abraham at the sacred oak of Moreh and the radiology lab at SUI Med school
God Appears to Abraham at Sichem, Paulus Potter, 1625-54 (Wikimedia Commons) Genesis 12 (NRSVE) When they had come to the land of Canaan, 6 Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak[b] of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. 7 Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will … Continue reading Trying Ignatian contemplation with Abraham at the sacred oak of Moreh and the radiology lab at SUI Med school
Imagining a F2F colloquy with Jesus in a Zoom call: Talking back to the still, small voice of the triune God
An Ignatian colloquy for Trinity 2020 -- 1 of ___ Images of Jesus by Dutch graphic designer Bas Uterwijk, 20 Minutes, July 2, 2020 So I'm trying to practice a new prayer technique adapted from the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola, and I'm stuck. It's called the Ignatian Colloquy, and it involves imagining yourself … Continue reading Imagining a F2F colloquy with Jesus in a Zoom call: Talking back to the still, small voice of the triune God
Spiritual direction, March 2022
d r a f t Editor’s (admin’s) note: Lightly edited copy of email I wrote in advance of this month’s appointment with my spiritual director, giving her a heads-up on what I’d been journaling on since our last meeting and, more to the point, helping me focus over time by archiving the emails with my journals … Continue reading Spiritual direction, March 2022
The parable of the mustard seed, the historical Jesus, the kingdom of God and a couple of kudzu jokes (Pentecost III)
Mustard plants in Galilee (I think the sign says 'no trespassing' in Hebrew) Mark 4 (NSRV). 26 [Jesus] also said, “The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, 27 and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. 28 The earth produces of … Continue reading The parable of the mustard seed, the historical Jesus, the kingdom of God and a couple of kudzu jokes (Pentecost III)
Spiritual direction, August-September
Email, lightly edited to make sense of a couple of really clunky sentences, that I sent today to my spiritual director in advance of our September meeting. Excerpts from my earlier posts are in italics and linked to the original posts to this blog. Hi Sister -- Here's the usual note to confirm our appointment … Continue reading Spiritual direction, August-September
Back to the future (and the righteousness of the God of Israel) with a Jesuit spiritual exercise for Pentecost XIII
A swing and a miss, and then a clean base hit (imho) with Ignatian contemplation ... Ruins of Roman temple and grotto of Pan at Caesarea Philippi (Wikimedia Commons). What you're about to read is an experiment. Or, to use another metaphor, a test drive. Call it a test-drive in that time-traveling DeLorean made famous … Continue reading Back to the future (and the righteousness of the God of Israel) with a Jesuit spiritual exercise for Pentecost XIII
John the Baptist does a bit of informal media advance for an event on the Jordan River (a meditation for Epiphany II)
Pilgrims at Qasr al-Yahud, traditional site of the baptism of Christ, November 2012. Security fence in river separates Israelis-occupied West Bank (at left) from Jordan. John 1 (NRSV) 29 The next day he [John the Baptist] saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the … Continue reading John the Baptist does a bit of informal media advance for an event on the Jordan River (a meditation for Epiphany II)
Ordinary Time 