Sometimes it pays to be bold with emails. I have long had a deep affinity for the music of Steve Bell. Not only is he a gifted musician and singer/songwriter, but he also conveys a deep thoughtfulness about the matters of faith. Steve loves the Church, and he loves Christians. He also loves the Psalms. … Continue reading In Conversation with Steve Bell
When Discouragement begins
On Maundy Thursday, 2015, the oncologist told my wife, “I’m recommending chemotherapy. You start next week. Here is the paperwork.” We were dumbfounded. To this day the pit of my stomach drops whenever I think of those words.
A Conversation: with David O. Taylor
The Psalms have become a source of constant inspiration for me. They have informed my prayer-life far more than any liturgical resource or devotional text out there. Within the Psalms I find the language of praise, adoration, and awe-struck worship; I also find the words for when I need to lament, cry, and yell. The … Continue reading A Conversation: with David O. Taylor
Being Kingdom-Minded
Is this there a way to break out of this type of life? Can we combat the overexposure of sights and sounds, the barrage of messages highlighting self-indulgence, and that internal sense of being overwhelmed? Can Jesus lead us into a different way of living?
Psalm 73: A Song for the Faithfully Forlorn
We all get discouraged or frustrated in our faith. Our spiritual lives rarely occur exactly as we would imagine or hope. After all, we live in an imperfect world, and we bear those imperfections within ourselves. We all struggle. We all question. We all, at times, raise our voice to the heavens and scream “why?” … Continue reading Psalm 73: A Song for the Faithfully Forlorn
Suffocating the seed: Reflections on the Parable of the Sower.
Did you know that overwatering a plant doesn't actually drown the plant but suffocates it. Overwatering restricts the oxygen available for the plant's growth. What are some ways we restrict the Spirit in our lives?
A Valley of Bones
Have you ever felt the need to comment on something but find that you have no words to do so? That’s how I feel in this moment. The country weeps in the wake of the newly discovered mass-grave on the property of a Kamloops Residential School. Such things are what you expect to find in … Continue reading A Valley of Bones
Lessons in Prayer 2: The invitation to be dissatisfied
Have you ever felt dissatisfied with your prayers? Have you felt that despite your best efforts you have never plumbed the depths of everything that prayer can offer you? Have you looked longingly to the saints before you, wishing to uncover a fraction of the prayerful intimacy they seemed to enjoy? I know I have. … Continue reading Lessons in Prayer 2: The invitation to be dissatisfied
Lessons in Prayer 1: A longing for communion
Prayer is communion with God. It is an enacted relationship, a reaching out to Jesus. “Prayer is the natural outgushing of a soul in communion with Jesus”, says Charles Spurgeon.[i] One cannot pray and remain cut off from the presence of God. The intimate presence of God, understood and experienced in our lives, is the … Continue reading Lessons in Prayer 1: A longing for communion
Listening to Dietrich
Bonhoeffer’s voice sounds louder and louder in my mind and heart. His witness is frighteningly prophetic. And yet, therein lies some hope.
Reverend Kyle Norman 