Thoughts on a Contemplative Reformation
A space to explore silence, practice, and Christian community
Proper 15, Year C Luke 12:49-56 August 18, 2019 Oh, Merciful Sword This morning, I wanted to make a manuscript available, so I typed a reflection. I sincerely hope that you feel invited to take a copy of this reflection home to read, to keep the conversation going. This is another one of those... Continue Reading →
Morning thought: We live in a time when some seek to convince us that there is only so much of "it" out there. Power. Resources. Power. Money. Power. Fame. Whatever "it" is at the moment. We fight among ourselves, seeking out an "other" who can be blamed, from whom we can take more of "it"... Continue Reading →
Rilke speaks of circles, imagining who we are, how we live--and the Spirit-- always expanding, despite our impulse to fear. Some deal in scarcity, the sadness of lives anchored in shallow waters, in sight of deeper promise yet unable to stand it beyond their ankles. Rilke speaks of circles, and I believe him. The circle... Continue Reading →
Notes on Sermon for Sunday, July 28 Stuart Higginbotham What is Prayer? Something so ubiquitous in our culture, yet do we really understand the deeper essence of what prayer is? I remember as a child staying up late at night, kneeling next to my bed until the carpet made pock marks in my knees,... Continue Reading →
When I was in undergrad, I had the privilege of participating in an experiment of sorts. The Dean of Students, Counselor, and Director of Student Activities at Lyon College invited Dr. Tom Balistrieri from Wochester Polytechnic Institute to come to our school over two years to introduce us to the wisdom of the Lakota Tribe--the... Continue Reading →
Launching September 1, 2019! From the publisher's description (Crossroad Publishing Company): "All around the world a resurgence of Christian contemplative living is creating a new framework for spirituality inside and outside of formal religion. Building on and expanding from the thoughts and works of such as Richard Rohr, Thomas Keating, Tilden Edwards, Laurence Freeman, and... Continue Reading →
I was thinking today if I could describe a "formula" or framework for intentional conversations, given the anxieties and fear we face in the world (on one hand) and the call to Christian discipleship [also of course being a practitioner of any wisdom tradition] (on the other hand). Person after person in my parish shares... Continue Reading →
Good Friday. There is an energy to this day, for sure. We woke up this morning to the sound of the tornado alarm, and that felt true. So true. We gathered in the downstairs bathroom, huddled and wanting to know what was happening to us as the siren sounded through our neighborhood. There are alarms... Continue Reading →
Dear Mr. Trump and political leaders, federal, state, and local: I write to you as a simple parish priest. We will probably never meet. I spend my days serving my community and being with my family and friends, tucked into the foothills of the North Georgia mountains. These days I am focused on Holy Week,... Continue Reading →
