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
Spiritual Formation
Is Lent really just about treats?
Yesterday was Ash Wednesday, heralding the beginning of Lent. Typically, this liturgical season involves adopting a devotional activity to mark one’s observance. Often, this involves some type of fasting. We ‘give-up’ something for the 40 days of Lent. What are we to give up? Well, that’s the question. Too easily does Lent become a time … Continue reading Is Lent really just about treats?
Have we misunderstood the Church?
Let me begin with a question: What is the goal of the Christian life? What does committing one’s self to Jesus point us toward? The possible answers are numerous. Some could say ‘Worship’; the Christian life is to be a life of perpetual praise to God. Others might say ‘Heaven’; the Christian life here on … Continue reading Have we misunderstood the Church?
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
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
Reverend Kyle Norman 