On the last day of this year, just hours before the flipping of the calendar, my mother died after an extensive fight with Cancer. The road had been long and painful, but the death itself was relatively quick. Time after time my mother had shown her resolve, living even in her last moments with a … Continue reading Requiem for my mother
Getting our feet wet
Scripture speaks into our lives. The words we read, in Old Testament and in New, penetrate our hearts and our souls, addressing the dynamics of our own lives. As we place ourselves before scripture, allowing the Word to address us, we find that the words of scripture open up new perspectives in our life of … Continue reading Getting our feet wet
Lectio and Liturgy
I just finished my last essay for my doctoral course called ‘Engaging Scriptures.’ This course was a look at the practice of Scripture contemplation as a means of Spiritual transformation. Being someone that highly values the practice of lectio divina, this was a course I very much enjoyed. Did you know that you can understand … Continue reading Lectio and Liturgy
Spirit-Filled decision-making: the way of discernment for individuals, councils, and communities.
Life can be messy. The path ahead is not always clear. In such moments, we can be left with the daunting task of having to decide what course of action to engage in, which path to follow. Sometimes it’s a decision between A and B. Sometimes it’s a decision to act or not act. Sometimes … Continue reading Spirit-Filled decision-making: the way of discernment for individuals, councils, and communities.
The Flip-flopping of Eugene Peterson; highlighting the logs in our eyes.
If, like me, you are someone who lives at the intersection of ‘Christianity’ and ‘Facebook’, you probably have come across reports about Eugene Peterson’s views of same-sex marriage. Yesterday it was reported that Peterson, a stalwart in the Evangelical world, had ‘changed his mind’ on the issue, and is now in support of same-sex marriage. … Continue reading The Flip-flopping of Eugene Peterson; highlighting the logs in our eyes.
Leaping wombs: Does Elizabeth hold the key to being church?
For liturgical churches, such as my own, May 31st celebrates The Visit of the Blessed Virgin Mary to Elizabeth. It is not a celebration we normally think about, except maybe as a forerunner to the Magnificat as the Gospel of the day includes Mary’s exultant song. Obviously, thoughts and reflections normally reside here. And why … Continue reading Leaping wombs: Does Elizabeth hold the key to being church?
The danger of Lectio Divina: My Response
Last week a friend of mine shared a blog on his Facebook page about the discipline of Lectio Divina. The blog was called “Is Lectio Divina really dangerous?” The blog was written by Mark Moore and was a wonderful affirmation of this discipline. Moore wrote the blog in response to another blog, written by Tim … Continue reading The danger of Lectio Divina: My Response
A 3-step way of understanding Spiritual Formation
Every month my Spiritual Director gives me a passage of scripture to sit with throughout out the month. For this month he gave me Galatians 6:14-18. Just four small verses, but they are packed with content. So, this morning I thought I would spend some time in prayer and reflection on this passage. I went … Continue reading A 3-step way of understanding Spiritual Formation
Many grapes or healthy grapes?
A few weeks back, my wife and I journeyed to BC wine country for a few days of rest and vacation. For four days we lounged by the pool, walked amidst the vineyards, and visited wineries. The highlight of our trip was a private tour of the winery where we were staying. Our guide, Sophie, … Continue reading Many grapes or healthy grapes?
A time to unplug – the discipline of Retreat-taking
The other day my wife introduced me to a new word; Nomophobia. Nomophobia is the fear of being away from one’s mobile phone. It is that sense of internal restlessness felt when you find yourself ‘with nothing to do’ and without the comfort of online communication. I wonder if you have experienced the almost visceral … Continue reading A time to unplug – the discipline of Retreat-taking
Reverend Kyle Norman 