I know it’s a bit early for Pentecost, but I like to be ahead of the game and there are so many stories where flames are useful! This is a really great idea for all ages.
What THEY’RE Having
May 17, 2023 by 1 Comment
While in New Mexico this summer my friends Lauren and Amy and I drove into the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo mountains to attend Mass at the historic Santuario de Chimayó. It was Pentecost Sunday.
Holy Whispers
October 18, 2022 by
I love hearing whispers—secrets for my ears only, messages so extraordinary they cannot be spoken out loud. I love the whispers I have heard in my life that I could not explain.
Connections 06.05.2022: The Holy Spirit
May 29, 2022 by
As a young child in church, I heard a lot of talk about the Holy Spirit. Sometimes this mysterious figure was called the “Holy Ghost,” making it more mysterious and even a little scary.
Formations 05.24.2020: Receiving the Spirit
May 17, 2020 by
I had just finished my sermon on the Holy Spirit and the ways God empowers us to participate with God in ushering in the kingdom.
Formations 05.20.2018: The Common Spirit
May 6, 2018 by
A few weeks back, driving home from work, the truck in front of me kicked up rainbows from the leftover rainwater. I’d seen rainbows cast by sprinklers over St. Augustine but never by tires against asphalt. Then we crossed the first hill, my angle of view changed, and the rainbows disappeared.
Crossroads: The Presence of the Holy Spirit
June 5, 2017 by
Several years ago on a weekend retreat, I gathered with a group of teenagers in a dimly lit room to share an Agape Love Feast. Earlier, we had set up the room with candles, a plate of bread, and a large cup of grape juice. Before we entered the room, all of us took off our shoes and made a commitment to be silent as we entered.
Crossroads: Waiting
June 13, 2016 by
Have you ever had to wait for something that you were sure was going to happen? You wait with nervous anticipation, excited and scared at the same time. I went to Paris when I was 16.
Crossroads: The Presence of the Holy Spirit
May 16, 2016 by
Several years ago on a weekend retreat, I gathered with a group of teenagers in a dimly lit room to share an Agape Love Feast. Earlier, we had set up the room with candles, a plate of bread, and a large cup of grape juice.
Formations 05.08.2016: Tongues of Fire
May 1, 2016 by
In today’s text, the Spirit comes attended by astounding supernatural phenomena that capture the attention of the pilgrims in Jerusalem. These phenomena do not automatically inspire faith, however; some onlookers wrote the whole thing off as the disciples simply being drunk.
In Pursuit of the Spirit: God in the Midst
February 10, 2016 by
We hear about or meet people who meditate for forty-five minutes each morning in total silence, people who spend half an hour in prayer every day, or read their Bible regularly, and those of us with busy lives, and busy minds, think wouldn’t that be nice?
Uniform 09.06.2015: Praying for One Another
August 30, 2015 by
In a song of my generation, the singer pleads, “Tell me what you want and I’ll give you what you need.” I’ve learned over the years that my prayers often go like that—I ask God for what I want and God gives me what I need.
Formations 05.24.2015: Spreading the Word
May 17, 2015 by
“Evangelism” is a scary word for a lot of people. It’s scary for a lot of people outside the church because they don’t want to be the target of somebody’s evangelistic efforts.
Uniform 05.24.2015: The Gift of Interpretation
May 17, 2015 by
One of my favorite television series is the BBC’s Doctor Who. This long-running show features the Doctor, a time-traveling alien who looks like you and me but has an exceptional time machine/spaceship called the TARDIS.
Uniform 03.08.2015: Being an Advocate
March 1, 2015 by
We talk about people being advocates for healthcare reform, advocates for diversity, advocates for the rights of immigrants, advocates for equal pay, and the list goes on.