As long-time readers will know, I spent a number of years in the Eastern Orthodox Church. And while it was not sustainable for me to remain in that tradition, its liturgical, spiritual, and theological sensibilities shaped me significantly, and in many ways my heart still beats to its rhythms. One of its rituals I miss … Continue reading Personal Accountability, Universal Responsibility: The Rite of Forgiveness
Lent has traditionally been understood in terms of Jesus’ forty days of fasting in the wilderness. It’s no surprise then that this is the Gospel reading appointed for this first Sunday in Lent. But we tend not to think of that story as “Jesus’ Forty Day Fast," but as “The Temptation of Christ.” That is, … Continue reading Facing Temptation: A Reflection on Matthew 4.1-11
There’s a common refrain from religious ‘nones’ that goes something like “I encounter God more in the forest than I ever do in a church.” While such an attitude may miss the mark about what church is for, it captures the undeniable truth that we experience the Transcendent often and easily in nature. It’s a … Continue reading Everywhere Present and Filling All Things: ‘O Heavenly King’
Roundup Music After a slow start, the past couple of weeks have been busy and buzzy with new album releases. Last week featured the Charli xcx's soundtrack to the highly controversial Wuthering Heights film adaptation and a hotly anticipated new release from '00s RnB star Jill Scott, To Whom This May Concern. Both are likely … Continue reading Culture Roundup (February 21, 2026)
One of the main criticisms of liturgical or common prayer is that it quickly becomes rote. As though if it’s read from a page, it can’t be from the heart; and if it’s not from the heart, it’s just the kind of vain repetition Jesus warned us against (Matthew 6.7). What this argument fails to … Continue reading Resetting the Narrative: The ‘Normal Beginning’
Matthew Root 