I recently noticed that one area that has been underrepresented in my explorations of sacred practices has been creativity. And so, in the hopes of beginning to rectify this gap, this week I explored the making of and meditating on mandalas. Background The word ‘mandala’ originates in Sanskrit and refers to a circle representing wholeness, … Continue reading Mandalas
The Gospel reading from today’s Morning Office contains a line that struck me anew this morning: “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” It’s one of the most famous lines in the Gospels not spoken by Jesus. And it’s a line that has much to say to our present moment. The first thing that struck me … Continue reading Nazareth
This week, I returned to a Scripture reading practice. What sets this practice apart from the other Scripture-related practices I’ve explored in this space is that the primary focus is on the reading of the text, rather than on interpreting it or experiencing it. This week, I read from the lectionary, a set list of … Continue reading The Lectionary
There’s a well-known phenomenon among marathon runners known as ‘the wall’. It’s the point where the body runs out of carbohydrates to burn and makes it abundantly clear that the runner needs to stop running, by means of a wave of intense fatigue that makes it feel almost impossible to keep on going. I think … Continue reading The Wall
After a few weeks of practices involving the shifting seas of my thoughts and thoughts-about-thoughts, I returned this week to the firm and fertile ground of ancient Christian spirituality. Specifically, I turned to the quintessential prayer of the Christian East, known as the Jesus Prayer, which combines elements we associate with prayer (petition and language) … Continue reading The Jesus Prayer
