Celebrating our limitations (08.08.24) “The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places” (Psalm 16:5) Guess what? We can’t achieve anything that we want to, because: our time, energy, skills, capacity, situations, and resources are limited. And so, we have to make choices in this life as to what we will attempt and pursue […]
Naming the pain, paying attention to the blessing (25.06.24) In my practice of spiritual direction, I recognise two primary areas of facilitation. The first is to create a space that allows people to articulate the reality of their lived experience of suffering, loss, disappointment, betrayal, anxiety, and fear. No attempt is made to ‘cheer people
“That’s not fair!” (Matthew 20:13-16) (30.05.24) The story goes that a vineyard owner hired different groups of workers at different times of day (9am, noon, 3pm, and 5pm) to work in his plot. He promised those hired first the usual amount for a day’s wage. At the end of the day (presumably around 6 –
The swift upward glance of the soul (30.04.24) God is near, heaven is a breath away, or perhaps even closer than that: Earth’s crammed with heaven, And every common bush afire with God, But only he who sees takes off his shoes; The rest sit round and pluck blackberries. ― Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-1861) Karl
Heaven is like homemade bread (25.03.24) Jesus told some terrific one-line parables to communicate essential ideas. Check this out: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with three measures of flour until it was leavened”. One line with a lot going on. Some observations: Jesus chooses the figure
Event: Contemplative Conversations Psalm 23: a six-week online series (22.03.24) ”He leads me beside still waters.” Psalm 23 tells us that we are not alone in the universe. Its imagery and poetry speak to us of a great companion in life, whose presence and faithfulness heal, restore, guide, comfort, protect, and awaken us to the
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Being and becoming the hidden treasure. (26.02.24) Recently it occurred to me that it is very likely that nothing I ever write or say or do is going to become viral. The fact that this thought occurred to me at all is revealing. It means that at some stage I must have hoped or dreamt
‘Night-time is womb time’ (John O’Donohue) (29.01.24) Dear companions, As I write this latest fruitful muse two of my five-year-old grandsons have just completed their very first day of school. It strikes me that the step from early home life to the first year of education and the intense peer environment is somewhat like leaving
Soft eyes. (27.12.23) In his famous spiritual manual, The Spiritual Exercises, Ignatius Loyola includes several ‘additions’ to his instructions on prayer. The third of these, a small line, easily missed, has grown into a practice of great significance for those drawn into this tradition. In short, Ignatius encourages the person who prays to begin by
Living in a state of grace. (27.11.23) Grace is the condition of the human story, perhaps the condition that makes possible what we mean by humanity. Contrary to popular opinion and various forms of media (social and otherwise) the world is not going to hell in a handbasket. Grace does not deny the deep suffering,
