Spiritual giants have long known the importance of examining their life on a daily basis to see where they have strayed. This tradition is a long standing one, going back to Ignatius in the 1500’s, however we see a hint of it in Psalm 141. Psalm 141 Psalm 141 is a spiritual gem. It is […]
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The next four psalms in the psaltery, Psalm 140-143, are laments, perhaps in preparation for the explosion of praise and thanksgiving found in the last five psalms. Our psalm for this week, Psalm 140, reminds us that conspiracy theories are nothing new. With all of the conspiracy theories around, this psalm reminds us we need […]
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Icons are a form of religious art designed to lead the viewer into prayer. The eyes are the mirror into the soul, the focal point of the Icon. A friend and mentor of mine on the spiritual path shared her experience with religious Icons. My friend went into a workshop on praying with Icons thinking, […]
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In my thirties and forties, I remember encouraging others to start preparing for their retirement, not just financially, but mentally and spiritually. Everyone ages, but not everyone ages with grace. You can’t expect to reach sixty or seventy or eighty, and become magically gracious, kind, loving and wise, if you never practiced any of these […]
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I’ve been fortunate. I don’t know what it is to go hungry. Nor do I know what it is like to live in exile from all you know and love. The writer of Psalm 137 knows what it is like to live in exile. Statue of Liberty One of the myths about our current immigration […]
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Biblical economics is not like modern economics. Like the game Monopoly, in biblical economics the slate is wiped clean at the end of each game. It’s about God’s crazy love for us and mercy to all who call upon him. Psalm 136 teaches us about this crazy love and mercy. Playing Monopoly As a kid, […]
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My first experience of a “mash-up” (weaving two songs together) was at the Irish Music Festival in Muskegon, Michigan. Unknown to me, though, mash-ups were around for much longer than that. Psalm 135 is an example of one early mash-up. Mash-Ups It was my first time at the Irish Music Festival. After a long day […]
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“Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep,” a childhood bedtime ritual in many families, followed by a recitation of blessing requests, “God bless …” When I was a child, the prayer ended, “If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take.” […]
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“Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers (and sisters) dwell in unity!” (1) Psalm 133 tells us. How good, indeed! But how often is it found? We are far from such unity as partisan politics continues to reign. There have been times in my life when I have joined with others in […]
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“I love a parade,” or so the song goes. Outdoor, live action involving music and people in costumes—what’s not to like? As a child, all it took was to come upon the high school marching band practicing in the street, and I would follow along. To happen upon a parade while visiting a small town […]
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