“Glory to God, whose power working in us can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine...” This line from the post-Communion prayers — a paraphrase of Ephesians 3.20 — has always been one of my favorites. Its promises inspired me as a young child in Yukon, and it was still able to reach … Continue reading More than we Know (A Reflection on Mark 6.1-6)
The Gospel reading this morning is the story of Jesus healing a man so beset by demons that he can no longer speak with his own voice. The man has lost his identity and refers to himself as “Legion,” after the multitude of voices in his head. For years, it seems, the man has been … Continue reading Face to Face (A reflection on Mark 5.1-20)
The Gospel appointed for today is the Parable of the Sower as it’s recorded in the Gospel according to Mark. At the end of the parable, Jesus says, “He who has ears, let him hear.” I remember this line striking me when I first went on my Bible-reading binge when I was nineteen, and it’s … Continue reading Ears to Hear (A Reflection on Mark 4.1-20)
I’ve been thinking a lot this week about enchantment, disenchantment, and re-enchantment. While I stand behind the idea that, essentially, we make the meaning we want to in the world, I recognize that these ideas have some troubling consequences if they aren’t properly contextualized and integrated into the bigger picture of life. I’ve lost friends … Continue reading Making Meaning
Once upon a time, I lived in an enchanted world, a world of saints, angelic beings, wonder-working relics, and weeping icons, a world where oil could heal and prayers were answered. It was a beautiful world, a true world, and a world that was full. It was a world I loved. But, it wasn’t a … Continue reading Magic
Matthew Root 