“You’re the man!” According to the Urban Dictionary, that’s a cool way of saying “you rock!” You’re comparing the person to someone everyone knows is awesome, like Jesus (or Allah, or Buddha, or even Chuck Norris, according to that source!) Somehow I don’t think that’s what the prophet Nathan meant in 2 Samuel 12 when […]
THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT: Reflecting on the sin of Sloth
This concludes a series of reflections on the seven deadly sins, with related scripture for meditation. Begin the series here. As I stood in line for confession, folding and unfolding the little slip of paper I had written my sins on, asking the Lord to tell me if I had forgotten anything – the words […]
THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT: Reflecting on the sin of Gluttony
This continues a series of reflections on the seven deadly sins, with related scripture for meditation. Begin the series here. They called it the MEATBALL DEATH STAR: 5 pounds of ground beef wrapped around a mixture of cheese tortellinis, sautéed sweet peppers and onions; a fluffy cloud of garlic mashed potatoes; a woven cloak of […]
PSALMS FOR LENT: Find GRACE in the Penitential Psalms
The Psalms are unique in the Bible because on one hand, they are prayers of people pouring out their hearts to God; but at the same time, they are the words of God. When we pray with them, our thirst for him meets his thirst for us. The psalms reveal HIS heart while they bare […]
RECEIVING THE WORD: A Lesson from Football
Used to be, a wide receiver wanted nothing to come between his fingertips and the football. But it’s a fair bet that when the Eagles and Chiefs file onto the field this weekend, anyone who anticipates touching the ball will be wearing high-tech, sticky gloves. And if AJ Brown makes a three-fingered catch the fans […]
COME INTO THE WORD: A Healing Encounter With Jesus (Mark 5:22-43)
The mural fills an entire wall of the Encounter Chapel, which is built on the first-century stone floor of the marketplace at Magdala by the Sea of Galilee. In it, sandals crowd the floor and linen robes brush against the legs and ankles of the men who throng around Jesus. He is a man on […]
TAKE THE BIBLE TO THE BEACH THIS SUMMER: Ideas for your reading list
What are your plans for the summer? My calendar’s filling fast with weekend trips and garden strolls and sitting (in the shade!) by the water. But work is lighter, and so are the days—leaving time for walks and books and doing nothing, if I want. Just seeing “Memorial Day” coming up next week makes my […]
SACRED MUSIC: A WINDOW TO HEAVEN
Have you ever heard angels singing? I think I have for real, once at a charismatic prayer meeting. But earlier this week, I swear the angels came down and joined the choir at Mass. Or maybe it was we who were lifted up into heaven, “joining our voices with angels and archangels” as the liturgy […]
PRAYER IN DESPERATE TIMES
“Desperate times call for desperate measures. Would you consider prayer a desperate measure?” I wasn’t expecting that question at the start of this interview on “prayer in desperate times”! Ben Akers, who is Director of Formed at the Augustine Institute in Denver, invited me to talk on Formed Now! about how the Psalms teach us to pray when times are rough. The […]
ROSH HASHANAH, A CALL TO REPENTANCE
I’ve heard it said that the shofar (ram’s horn trumpet), with its curving shape, represents the way a repentant heart “bends” before the Lord in supplication. When it’s blown, it has a unique sound that can trumpet victory or a mournful wail. In the liturgy of Rosh Hashanah, today’s Jewish “Feast of Trumpets,” three types […]
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