Monday, December 30 The Fifth Day Reading: And God said, “Let the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the dome of the sky.” [1] Reflection: On the fifth day of creation, as recorded in Genesis, God called for the creation of “swarms of living creatures” in … Continue reading Contemplative Christmas
Category: Life Notes
Contemplative Christmas
Wednesday, December 18, 2024 Advent: Love, Day 4 Reading: “And Mary said, ‘My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.’” [1] Reflection: This passage from Luke is referred to as Mary’s Song of Praise, or The Magnificat. It … Continue reading Contemplative Christmas
Contemplative Christmas
Advent: Peace, Day 5 Reading: “The day the power of love overrules the love of power, the world will know peace.” [1] Reflection: In its common usage, peace is not a singular concept but has many applications, several of which are relevant in preparing for the birth of the Christ-child. One common understanding of peace … Continue reading Contemplative Christmas
Contemplative Christmas
Wednesday, December 4, 2024 Advent: Hope, Day 4 Reading: “…now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.” [1] Reflection: Two traditional attributes of Advent are waiting and hoping. We wait expectantly for … Continue reading Contemplative Christmas
A Higher Level of Being, Part 6
A Higher Level of Being, Part 6 “We shall not cease from exploration And the end of all our exploring Will be to arrive where we started And know the place for the first time.” T.S. Eliot[1] The image of an iceberg is often used as an analogy for phenomena where only a portion of … Continue reading A Higher Level of Being, Part 6
A Higher Level of Being, Part 5
A Higher Level of Being, Part 5 “I like to say it’s a Christ-soaked world, a world where matter is inspirited and spirit is embodied. In this world, everything is sacred…”[1] Fr. Richard Rohr In past weeks I have attempted to describe how our inner being, our true self – the essential consciousness that is … Continue reading A Higher Level of Being, Part 5
A Love Note to Left-Leaning Christians
A Love Note to Left-Leaning Christians …do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today. Matthew 6:14 Like many of you, I awoke on Wednesday morning to the news that Donald Trump was re-elected as President, and that Republicans will hold the majority in the … Continue reading A Love Note to Left-Leaning Christians
A Higher Level of Being, Part 4
A Higher Level of Being, Part 4 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1 Where do our thoughts originate? Where do our memories reside? Where is the center of our conscious awareness? When we talk to ourselves, where does the conversation occur? Many … Continue reading A Higher Level of Being, Part 4
A Higher Level of Being, Part 3
A Higher Level of Being, Part 3 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1 In exploring the spiritual-physical Life Continuum I presented last week, it is helpful to assume that spiritual and physical matters differ only in our perception, not in their essence. … Continue reading A Higher Level of Being, Part 3
A Higher Level of Being, Part 2
A Higher Level of Being, Part 2 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1 The typical “Christian” view of life’s realms, illustrated at left, is of three separate kingdoms where “we” might exist: Earth: a physical realm where we spend our days as … Continue reading A Higher Level of Being, Part 2
Contemplating Grace 