Desire
Terminology is important. It can unify us around an idea or it can be divisive. Listing a few words may help to explain what I mean: evangelical, born-again, Protestant, believer, Christian, religious…. Each of these words has been used to describe a particular group of people and draw a boundary around them to minimize confusion with people who do not fit…
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Inland
I have been listening to the songs on Jars of Clay’s album Inland since 2014, shortly after it came out. Some of my favourite songs on the album (I have previously written about some of these) include “After the Fight,” “Reckless Forgiver,” “Loneliness and Alcohol,” and “Fall Asleep.” (The amazing video for Fall Asleep can be…
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The Mentored Life
I have been fortunate to have many great mentors, coaches, disciple-makers, and spiritual friends in my life. I dare-say it would not have been possible to live my life without these people. A full education in life requires more than just information, it requires transformation. This is where a good friend and mentor comes into…
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Hearing from God
Hearing from God is both an individual and a communal practice. Gordon Smith, in his book The Voice of Jesus, makes it clear that there is danger in relying too much on ourselves or too much on the community of faith. “The community, then, while it is essential to our individual identity, is also a…
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The Still, Small Voice
I am preparing for a few days of solitude at Kingsfold Retreat Centre. How will I experience the quiet of this place? Will I hear from God? How will I know if I hear from God? Elijah, A.B. Simpson, Gordon T. Smith, and Teresa of Avila have insights. I will listen to the mighty wind,…
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This Journey
Together we traveled on paths of beauty. The stars were purest white, the leaves greener than we had ever known, and the rivers brimmed with life. The hills spoke of old battles fought and new battles to come; we traveled through old forests inhabited by creatures both fair and foul. Sometimes the road was straight…
Continue readingGod’s Voice
In a previous post I wrote about guidance from God. This present post must be understood within the context of that broader article. In the previous article I spoke of God’s guidance coming through God’s word, God’s voice, God’s reason, God’s people, and God’s circumstances. Today I would like to write about one part of…
Continue readingQuiet Miracles
When Jesus performed miracles during his time on earth many people were present who did not know that a miracle had taken place. Think of his first miraculous sign in which he turned water into wine (John 2). There were many present for the wedding but only a few knew what had happened. The disciples…
Continue readingVoices II
I posted these lyrics a while ago but now I have added a link to a recording of this song. Voices (Lyrics by Keith Shields; Music by Mike Charko; Copyright 2011 SOCAN) It’s 5 am and all is quiet I hear voices in my head One says, “I should seek out comfort” Another, “Give it…
Continue readingListening to the Universe
Today I simply offer another quote from Annie Dillard: Who shushed the stars? There are a thousand million galaxies easily seen in the Palomar reflector; collisions between and among them do, of course, occur. But these collisions are very long and silent slides. Billions of stars sift among each other untouched, too distant even to…
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