-
Finding God in the Messy Middle
I love it when God shows up in a surprising way. This past weekend I led a retreat called Finding God in a New Season. For three days we reflected on the changing…
-
Wading into the deep waters of the interior life
Last Saturday, I had the privilege of speaking to the deacon aspirants and their wives for the Diocese of Charlotte. The topic was right in my wheelhouse: the interior life, spiritual direction, and…
-
Is there room for fun in the spiritual life?
I’m spending a week away on vacation with my family – three adult children, their spouses and partners, and two grandchildren. I can’t help but focus my attention on these two boys, ages…
-
The best mantra for discerning the will of God
There is something I find especially difficult about discernment: waiting. I am much more comfortable when I have an idea, make a decision, and get moving. My usual pattern has been: Get an…
-
Hearing God in a New Season
Last week, my wife and I traveled to Maine. Visiting Bar Harbor, Acadia National Park, and Portland had been on our bucket list for a long time. So had eating a lobster roll…
-
Learning to hear the whispering sound in the noise
Homily for the 19th Sunday After the fire there was a tiny whispering sound. When he heard this, Elijah hid his face in his cloak. 1 Kings 19:13 Where do you hear the…
-
A New Way to Pray When the Words Don’t Come
A New Way to Pray When Words Don’t Come Most of last week, my prayer felt like moving through fog. I showed up at the usual times, but felt nothing. I wasn’t upset…
-
The story for a new season
One of my spiritual directees, a retired executive, described his plans for the next phase of life. As he spoke, a question rose in me almost unbidden: Whose story is this? The plans were…
-
How to look beyond the weeds
16th Sunday of Ordinary Time “The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a man who sowed good seed in his field…” (Mt 13:24-43) “What is the one thing in your life that…
-
Bands of love that stretch but don’t break
Last week at the homeless shelter, I met two mothers. One was homeless. One was not. One had a homeless son. One did not. Yet both shared the same unbreakable bands of love.…
