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On the Altar
In the second half of Chapter 58, Saint Benedict describes the liturgy in which a man becomes a monk. The ceremony in which I made a promise to enter a year’s time as a novice oblate contains some of the elements in this liturgy. I signed my name to a written promise and placed it…
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In His Care
“It is you, O Lord, who will take us in your care and protect us for ever, from this generation.” (Psalm 12:7, LH)
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A Time of Testing
Earlier this month I marked the twentieth anniversary of my ordination. Of that time, I spent about five years in parish ministry, half that time in visitation and hospice chaplaincy, just under ten years in communications with a church agency, and the rest of the time on leave from call. My most recent leave from…
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Refuge in the Lord
“The just will rejoice in the Lord and fly to him for refuge.” (Psalm 64:10a, LH)
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Humble Craftsmanship
Someone taught me that Johann Sebastian Bach wrote “SDG” at the bottom of his musical scores. Those three letters were an acronym for Soli Deo Gloria, meaning “To the only God be glory.” I’m reminded of this by the quotation from 1 Peter 4:11 that Benedictine monks and oblates lift up as a byword for…
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Reliance
“…but join with me in suffering for the gospel, relying on the power of God….” (1 Timothy 1:8b, NRSV)
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Come to the Table
As I opened The Rule of Benedict this morning, I saw a tiny chapter, and wondered whether its text would elicit any thoughts and guide me to amend my life in any way. On first glance, I wasn’t sure. But the more I pondered the few lines of the text, I began to see how…
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God the Creator
“I know all the birds in the sky, all that moves in the field belongs to me.” (Psalm 50:11, LH)
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Striving for Sufficiency
When Anne and I were planning our wedding, we selected a non-traditional Gospel text. Non-traditional for weddings, but one that has served as a guide to us, off and on, since that day. It’s a text that reminds me, every time I hear or read it, of God’s generous care for us, and of the…
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Washed White
“O purify me, then I shall be clean; O wash me, I shall be whiter than snow.” (Psalm 51:7, LH)