Easter is approaching! To help you open your heart to Christ and the abundant life that comes through his cross and resurrection I have prepared for you a series of meditations based on the ancient Stations of the Cross. I’ve written Biblical meditations and prayers for each station and have used them in my personal…
I spent two weeks in a class with twenty pastors at a monastery, taught by Dallas Willard. The foundation of his teaching was on spiritual reality. Teaching that God is Spirit, that we’re eternal beings, and that the Kingdom of God is spiritual, might not sound like anything new. And yet, learning to really appreciate…
At times we all feel inadequate, insignificant, less than, or unloved because of some deficiency, real or merely felt. We may fall into a pit of feeling bad about ourselves, even if we know better. We need fresh eyes and a soft heart. We need to become transfixed with Jesus’ glowing, pure face as we…
On the cross God is not rejecting Jesus! The Father is not looking away with disgust as Jesus bears our sin. Love is not defeated by evil. The eternal attitude of God toward Jesus is: “You are my beloved son and in you I am well pleased!” Matt 3:17, 17:5.) Because of Christ you can know God’s lavishly generous attitude toward you and every person on the planet: “You are my lovely daughter and I delight in you! You are my true son and I am so proud of you!” What a miraculous gift!
The seven last words of Jesus cry out, “You are unforsaken by God!” But tragically we don’t hear them that way. We need a new vision of the cross of Christ. We need fresh wording for Jesus’ message of unfailing delight. Because if we’re not care-full the horrible suffering and darkness of the cross obscure…
Jesus invites you into his belonging and this is the greatest blessing of your life! At times you may feel that you don’t really belong to a group of people who enjoy and appreciate you. Psychological studies show that without a secure sense of belonging we suffer from a loss of meaning, depression, and poor…
Looking to Jesus together, heart to heart, we can recover from discouragement, even depression and abuse. We can forgive.
In pain it’s tempting to isolate and feel sorry for ourselves, but on his crosswalk Jesus shows us the way into the graces of companionship and kindness.
We continue the Lent journey of “Unforsaken.” Under the weight of the cross Jesus falls — into his Abba’s arms of love!
Have you ever walked and prayed through the Stations of the Cross at a retreat center? Or done a virtual “prayer walk” using the stories and prophecies of Christ’s passion that go with the ancient Stations? I have. Many times. It’s truly unforgettable. Divine mercy has flooded into my body and soul. The Gospel scenes…