eucharist
-
What silent prayer feels like
I’ve been practicing silent prayer for a number of years now, and I’ve learned that there is a difference between prayer, focus, and calming down. In other words, being quiet doesn’t automatically mean that we’re praying. Sometimes it means that… Continue reading
-
Praying together in the second person
“You” is the most important word in Christian prayer. Wait a second. “You”? What about “God”? What about “Christ”? What about “Jesus”? Yes, these are important words in Christian prayer, and the name “Jesus” certainly has its magnificent and eternal… Continue reading
-
Prayer and Creativity
We don’t often talk about creativity in our spiritual lives. Or, if we do, I don’t think that we talk about it enough. Usually, when discussing our spiritual lives, we talk about either our tradition or our freedom in the… Continue reading
-
Teaching Halloween and All Saints
When my daughter asked me “But what IS Halloween”, I realized that I had two choices. I could focus on the purely secular holiday, or I could focus on the religious aspect. I could do both, of course, but my… Continue reading
-
How do you read the Bible?
The Bible is Christian Scripture, but what does it mean for something to be a community’s “Scripture”? The Bible is our holy book, God’s word to us in writing, a sacred text in which we find the presence of something… Continue reading
-
Talking to a nine-year old (Part 2)
Two weeks ago, I posted about a little interview I did with my nine-year old daughter. I asked her questions about God, about following Jesus, and about what it’s like for her to be in church and in worship. Here… Continue reading
-
Talking with a nine-year old about God
I enjoying hearing what children think and feel about religion. Or, to be more specific, I like to think of questions to ask children about religion, and I like to talk with them about their answers. I was in academia… Continue reading
-
Japan, Christianity, and Prayer
For the past two weeks, I’ve been traveling with my wife. We left the kids with my mother-in-law, hopped on the plane in Newark, NJ at 8:00 in the morning, and were in Japan the afternoon of the following day.… Continue reading
-
What do you pass down?
My parish is currently in the process of hiring a new Children’s Education Director. Hiring someone isn’t simply about just finding the right person for the job. It’s also about refining what the job actually entails. In part, this work… Continue reading
-
Giving voice to every creature under heaven
Children live in an enchanted world. I don’t mean this in a sentimental way, though. I don’t mean that children live as if magic were real and that everything shimmers and shines with unicorns and fairies. Children can be realists,… Continue reading
Incense and Crayons 