The Way of Wandering

Tuesday, February 28th. The 7th day of Lent. This post is a follow up to some things I wrote about on Saturday. If the mythic framework of your childhood world no longer satisfies, you can hit the highway and seek your metaphysical fortune in the wide world. These days, with the internet and global news,…

Compassion Fatigue

Monday, February 27th. The 6th day of Lent. There was this moment in 2009 when I knew for sure that I had to get out of the ministry. It was on a Wednesday night and a woman came up to me and told me there was a problem with a door knob on one of…

Cast Out

Sunday, February 26th. The first Sunday of lent. A very literal translation of Mark 1:12-13, part of today’s gospel text: “And immediately the Spirit cast him out into the wilderness. And he was in the wilderness forty days being tempted by the satan. And he was with the wild animals. And the angels waited on…

Never Scoff at a True Believer

Saturday, February 25th. The fourth day of Lent. Rules for Living #29: Never Scoff at a True Believer A true believer is culturally unconscious. They are completely at peace with Mother Culture because they are unaware of her existence. They live in her womb, being nurtured by her, participating fully in her stories, and contributing…

Sacred Listening

Friday, February 24th. The third day of Lent. I don’t have much to say to God these days. No requests. No praises. No promises that I’ll be a better boy. It’s not that I have anything against talking to God. It’s just that I did so much of that for such a long time. I…

God or the Idea of God

Thursday, February 23rd. The second day of Lent. There is a dog in my neighborhood that watches the world through a gap between two boards in the fence around his yard. When I jog by I can see one of his eyes peering out at me. He seems filled with fear at the tiny slice…

Ash Wednesday

Lenten Blog 2012: Ash Wednesday Ash Wednesday – 10:00 pm Tonight Jeanene and I went to Saint Luke’s Episcopal Church, where we have been attending for about 8 weeks. We’ve been drawn, almost against our will, to this community of faith in San Antonio. Drawn by the undeniable beauty of their worship, which is put together…