Early one winter morning at the Prince of Peace Abbey I got up to pray. It was still dark. I stood at the edge of the hill and looked out over the valley below and the mountains in the distant horizon. As the birds chirped, I stood in the dark, shivering, and waiting for the…
Have you ever meditated on Scripture in the nature setting it describes? God reveals himself and his purposes for us in his Holy Bible and through his creation. The Psalms especially show us this. Praying a Psalm in its Nature Setting is a favorite spiritual practice of mine. For instance, many times in the early…
In my teaching, counseling, and leading of retreats I find that pastors, ministry leaders, and others greatly benefit from learning how to use a Breath Prayer approach to meditating on a phrase from the Bible. I’m not surprised because this has been so helpful to me personally. A Breath Prayer is Like a Smile to…
What a blessing it is that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, through sacrificing his perfect life on the cross for us and raising from the dead to conquer sin, death, and hell, has reconciled us to God our Father! Just the thought of this blessing out to fill our hearts with gratitude that our…
It’s Christmastime! Are you celebrating Christ in your heart? Are you appreciating the incarnate Son of God, the King of kings, in your thoughts? It’s easy too be distracted with busyness or worries – especially as Christmas approaches. Advent is a time to slow down and prepare for the coming of Christ to us. It’s…
Don’t forget Joseph’s part in the Nativity story. God may be speaking to you through his role… None of Joseph’s words are recorded in the Bible. He was a man who listened. He listened to God through people, dreams, angels, and circumstances. He heard God’s voice and obeyed him to protect his dream, the Word…
Advent means “come.” At Christmastime we celebrate the miracle birth of “Immanuel,” God come to be with us. Jesus Christ was born to the virgin Mary to show us God in human flesh – this is God’s greatest dream and humankind’s greatest longing! God wants to birth a dream through you too! Mary is our example.…
Christmastime can be so noisy and busy! Perhaps God is inviting you to make time for quiet prayer? Zechariah (John the Baptist’s father) waited in silence ten months for the first Christmas! We might do well to pray in quiet for ten minutes! Or an hour or two. Be still to anticipate Christ’s coming and…
In 2002 had been living as a “Christian” for over 30 years, but I was depressed. Marriage, family, friendships, career, and ministry were all going well for me but there was still an emptiness in my soul. I had lost my enthusiasm for Christ and life years earlier and was going through the motions. I…
What makes for a “good day”? For me it starts with prayer. This morning I awoke early. My thoughts started down the path of planning all I had to do and I started to feel anxious… How easy it is for me at that point to get out of bed and go to work! Instead,…