Pilgrims entering Garden of Gethsemane, Jerusalem, November 2012. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight.In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. -- Proverbs 3:5-6 (NRSV): Our prayer doesn’t change God’s mind, it changes us. It helps us change our own minds and hearts. It … Continue reading A Jesuit, a Protestant reformer and a spiritual mutt walk into an ER (instead of a bar): How I’m learning to trust God
Saints, sinners (an echo of Luther’s simul justus et peccator?), politics and ‘both-and’ dialog in Pope Francis’ interview
Editor's (admin's) note. When I shared this on Facebook, I introduced the link with this headnote: "New post to my spirituality blog. In which I'm reminded: (2) We're complicated; (2) Pope Francis' remark about saints and sinners sounds like Luther; and (3) it's always a good idea to look for 'both-and' dialog and reconcile differences." … Continue reading Saints, sinners (an echo of Luther’s simul justus et peccator?), politics and ‘both-and’ dialog in Pope Francis’ interview
Luther and the indwelling ‘Christ present in faith’ — Finnish theologians, Irish Jesuit offer a way of coping with a scary diagnosis
Matthias Stom, St. Peter at Prayer, ca. 1633-40 (Wikimedia Commons) One thing about getting a cancer diagnosis -- it tends to focus your mind, especially if you've been working on your prayer life already. Increasingly since I was diagnosed toward the end of October, I've been falling back on what's sometimes called the Prayer of … Continue reading Luther and the indwelling ‘Christ present in faith’ — Finnish theologians, Irish Jesuit offer a way of coping with a scary diagnosis
Richard Marius: Notes & quotes
d r a f t More information on Martin Luther biographer Richard Marius, whom I knew at UT-Knoxville and mentioned in passing in my Nov. 11 post on Martin Luther's concept of the indwelling of Christ. I'm rereading his 1973 biography Luther and wrote: One of my professors at the University of Tennessee Knoxville, Richard … Continue reading Richard Marius: Notes & quotes
Finns re-examine Luther on justification by faith, the indwelling of Christ and other theological headaches
Luther, second from right in back row, and theologians, 1557 woodcut (Wikimedia) A couple of weeks ago, I noticed an item on the Patheos website by Ted Peters, emeritus professor of systematic theology and ethics at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary and the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley. I like to check him out from time to … Continue reading Finns re-examine Luther on justification by faith, the indwelling of Christ and other theological headaches
An interfaith ‘aha! moment’: Reading John Wesley’s journal on the love of God and Luther’s theology of justification by grace
O wad some Power the giftie gie usTo see oursels as ithers see us!-- Robert Burns ("To a Louse") Some people have spiritual "aha! moments" at retreats or in the presence of God at the seashore or on a mountaintop. And some of us, I guess, are fated to have our moments of clarity while … Continue reading An interfaith ‘aha! moment’: Reading John Wesley’s journal on the love of God and Luther’s theology of justification by grace
Spiritual direction, August 2022
Editor’s note. Lightly edited copy of an email I sent to my spiritual director in advance of our monthly meeting for August. I email her every month, mostly to focus my mind before we meet, and I archive them here so I have a record of issues I’ve dealt with over time. Being able to consult them … Continue reading Spiritual direction, August 2022
Who am I in Christ? Who are the people of God? A surprising answer from Ireland that brings the abstractions down to earth
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkLzIeztC3c Shuan Davey, "The Deer's Cry" [St. Patrick's Breastplate]. [...] Christ with me, Christ before me,Christ behind me, Christ in me,Christ beneath me, Christ above me,Christ on my right, Christ on my left,Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down,Christ when I arise, Christ to shield meChrist in the heart of everyone who … Continue reading Who am I in Christ? Who are the people of God? A surprising answer from Ireland that brings the abstractions down to earth
Praying St. Ignatius’ colloquy with a story from the Talmud about Hillel the Elder and a corny Latin pun by Martin Luther
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APMu32sC2nM There Is No White Jesus | Famalam | BBC Three | April 12, 2017 Editor's (admin's) note. Second of two posts in which I try to imagine an Ignatian Colloquy, a one-on-one conversation with Jesus, on a series of Zoom calls. It's a prayer technique adapted from the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola. I’ve … Continue reading Praying St. Ignatius’ colloquy with a story from the Talmud about Hillel the Elder and a corny Latin pun by Martin Luther
Dear Christians, one and all rejoice! — we can study Johann Walther’s (and Luther’s) first chorale book online
d r a f t https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpNsuVQ3sUg Selections by Today I stumbled across a YouTube post I expect to spend a lot of time with, even though it features music that's not exactly on the charts today -- and it's a pretty wonky thing to curl up with for light summer reading. It's an audio file … Continue reading Dear Christians, one and all rejoice! — we can study Johann Walther’s (and Luther’s) first chorale book online
Ordinary Time 