Category Archives: Spiritual Formation

November 8, 2018 · 1:26 pm

“Gifted & Grateful” – Part 1

I believe I first took a spiritual gift inventory nearly thirty years ago.  I discovered then, and have had it reconfirmed since, that my primary spiritual gifts are administration, leadership and teaching.  What are yours? Do you know?

Psalm 24:1a says, “The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it”.   I take this to mean all that we have in this life is a “gift” from God.  This includes not only our material possessions, but also the abilities we have been given.  The Apostle Paul writes about these abilities in the New Testament, calling them gifts from the Holy Spirit (See Romans 12:3-8, I Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4:11-16 and I Peter 4:10-11).  These spiritual gifts, found in each follower of Jesus, are given for the purpose of building up the Body of Christ (the church), so that through the church we can be engaged in God’s mission. Continue reading →

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October 12, 2018 · 8:35 am

A Century Ride and Other Goals

Five years ago I was given a bicycle by my family for Father’s Day.  I began to explore our city’s public trail system and found that I enjoyed this form of exercise.  Five years, two bike upgrades and a lot of miles later, my mental health is better and I’m in much better physical shape.  I gradually began to push myself to take longer rides, leave the People Trail for county roads, and learn more about road cycling.  In time the challenge of attempting a century ride began to creep into my thinking.

A century ride is a cycling ride of 100 miles or more completed within 12 hours, and is considered something of a rite of passage in the world of recreational cycling.  Think marathon for a runner.  While not at all impossible, attempting such a feat does require some preparation and training – which, in turn, takes time. So, blessed with a Sabbatical this summer, and the time to train, I set a bucket list goal of completing my first (and quite possibly only) century ride. Continue reading →

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June 20, 2018 · 4:34 am

Framing a New Picture – Part 2 (Passage Ways)

4B8C31C8-CB8E-478A-8F14-3E70BDBF2385One of the things that continues to catch my eye as we traverse the lands of Scotland and Ireland are the many photogenic passage ways that come into view. I’ve included a few pictures in this post to illustrate what we’ve seen.

Initially these registered as scenic paths or walkways leading us toward a new destination or discovery.  But in time I came to see the deeper passage ways pilgrims

of faith have followed in their pursuit of hope, answers and reassurance in life’s challenges. Truly we are not so different today as we continue to seek paths to God and our own faithful discipleship.

These moments in time are helping me reframe my thinking along the way as to how  to articulate the One who is “The Way” to others in our world filled with round-abouts (something Europe loves) and dead end choices.

I invite you to identify the everyday passage ways you see before you today and consider the paths you are choosing.

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June 7, 2018 · 12:30 pm

Finding a Sabbath Rhythm

Sabbatical Display This summer the congregation I partner with in ministry and I have been given a gift.  It’s the gift of a sabbatical.  By definition a sabbatical is to be a time of rest, renewal, reflection and refreshment.  It shares the same root as the word  “sabbath”. My understanding of sabbath is, in part, a disruption of the normal routine in order to be able to live a different rhythm.  Just as the sabbath invites us to stop, worship, rest and rejoice – breaking the weekly rhythm of work and production; the hope of a sabbatical is to also live into a new, or different rhythm in order to pay attention to new and different things.   One who has observed sabbath is ready to re-enter and re-engage in the routine of life, knowing that he or she is not at the center of keeping the world spinning.  So is the hope of a sabbatical – to re-set one’s perspective and allow a refreshed and reinvigorated engagement in vocation for the next season. Continue reading →

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March 30, 2018 · 4:43 pm

Three Days

A lot can happen in three days.  The world can change in just three days.  I’ve been thinking about the three days we are walking through at the end of this Holy Week – three days traditionally called the Triduum in the church.  Here’s a definition: “Triduum”, the period of three days that begins with the evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper, reaches its high point in the Easter Vigil, and closes with evening prayer on Easter Sunday.  You may know these three days by more familiar terms: beginning at dusk on Maundy Thursday these 72 hours extend through Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday.   They are three days that changed the course of history and perhaps the trajectory of your life. Continue reading →

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