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.
Jesus
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
True Liberation – A reading of the Parable of the talents
(This post be long!) This post arises out of question, posed on social media, about how we might mistakenly interpret this parable based on the privilege and capitalism of our North American context. I took that to heart and looked for alternative interpretations, based largely in liberation theology. I started writing out some of my … Continue reading True Liberation – A reading of the Parable of the talents
Are Disciplines Necessary?
This post is based on a presentation made at the ACW Regional Retreat in September 2020. Are Spiritual Disciplines really that important? Why are Spiritual Disciplines important? Is not believing in Jesus enough? Are disciplines just a form of works righteousness, some mistaken attempt to earn our salvation? Do we really need to worry about … Continue reading Are Disciplines Necessary?
O Blessed Boredom: Isolation and the dethronement of idols
This article first appeared at http://www.medium.com/ministrymatters It’s been over two months of lock downs, isolation, physical distancing, and mask-wearing. Depending on where you live, you may be facing this for the foreseeable future. For myself, I have long moved past my initial bouts of irritation. Being unable to run down to the local mall and … Continue reading O Blessed Boredom: Isolation and the dethronement of idols
Beloved but Messy: A Review of Megan Hill’s “A Place to Belong.”
I never believed I would be someone who would enjoy reading books on ecclesiology. Reading about the nature of the church never once appealed to me as a viable good time option. Yet here I am, reading books on the nature of the church, and loving it! The latest addition to my reading was Megan … Continue reading Beloved but Messy: A Review of Megan Hill’s “A Place to Belong.”
The Way of Discernment
This post first appeared in "Ministry Matters" under the title: "Discernment: it's not just pointing at random verses" on Medium.com Whenever we aspire to live the Christian life with any intentionality, an inevitable question arises. How do I know what God wants me to do? How do I know I am making the right decisions? … Continue reading The Way of Discernment
Away and Towards: Cultivating Solitude in a time of Isolation
The Desert Fathers and Mothers have been a continuous wealth of spiritual knowledge and insight, their teachings passed down in various volumes and compendiums. One lesson has been particularly popularized. As the story goes; a monastic brother went to Abba Moses and asked for a word of advice regarding the cultivation of a robust spiritual … Continue reading Away and Towards: Cultivating Solitude in a time of Isolation
Reverend Kyle Norman 