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
prayer
Lamentations: Recovering a forgotten discipline.
This article first appeared as an article for The Anglican Church of Canada at https://medium.com/ministrymatters/discovering-lament-why-crying-out-to-god-may-be-good-for-our-souls-23cf60ccfe3a. While out for a walk with my family the other day, we came across another family, also out for a stroll. Mom and Dad were following their two small daughters, each on bright pink bikes with streamers. As we approached … Continue reading Lamentations: Recovering a forgotten discipline.
Messy Faith
This post first appeared at https://medium.com/@revkylenorman/ under the title "Embracing the Messiness of faith" Someone once told my mother that eating chilli peppers would cure her cancer. I wish I was making this up. Upon hearing of her diagnosis, this individual informed my mother that the Lord had led him to discover a certain brand … Continue reading Messy Faith
Habits of Devotion
This article first appeared at Ministry Matters under the title "Habits of Devotion: Observing the season of Lent in a healthy, restorative, and biblical way." Published February 27, 2020. Are you bored of Lent? This probably seems like an odd question to ask, considering we have yet to enter into the liturgical season. The … Continue reading Habits of Devotion
An appeal for Church unity with reflections from the Parable of the Good Samaritan: My response to General Synod.
Last week was the General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada. It is the church that I have belonged to since as long as I can remember. It is the church that I was ordained in 16 years ago, and it is the church that I love. For a good several months, however, I … Continue reading An appeal for Church unity with reflections from the Parable of the Good Samaritan: My response to General Synod.
Toward a Common Spiritual Life: Morning Prayer
The English poet and Anglican priest, John Donne, once penned that ‘No man [sic] is an island, entire unto itself; every man [sic] is piece of the continent.’ In this phrase, Donne is highlight an important reality for our lives; we exist amid a myriad of relationships. In fact, if we look at scripture, we … Continue reading Toward a Common Spiritual Life: Morning Prayer
7 Habits of Effective Churches – A Rebuttal
Every once and while, I read a blog or article that demands I write a response. This is one of those occasions. The blog in question was posted on the MINISTRY MATTERS forum (The blog-arm of the Anglican Church of Canada), entitled ‘7 Habits of Highly Effective Churches.’ (https://medium.com/ministrymatters/the-seven-habits-of-highly-effective-parishes-5dee9709fdce). Before I go further, let me … Continue reading 7 Habits of Effective Churches – A Rebuttal
In Praise of the Church
When was the last time that we praised our congregations? When have we communicated that participation in our local church has been a blessing to us? How often do we thank God for the community in which we are surrounded? When was the last time that we rejoiced because we belong to this church? As … Continue reading In Praise of the Church
Requiem for my mother
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
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.
