Four Spiritual Practices for Preaching on Matthew 25 (A Progressive Christian Lectionary Commentary for Nov 20, 2011)

November 11, 2011 By 14 Comments
05%20-%20Lentz%20-%20Christ%20of%20Maryknoll%20adj

Spiritual Practice I: Visio Divina To begin to reflect on this scripture, I invite you first to slow down. Take three deep breaths. And gaze softly at this image: What resonates with you most strongly about this picture? What word, phrase, image, or emotion does this image trigger in you? What surprises, excites, or disturbs you about this representation? This stunning icon is by Br. Robert Lentz, OFM. One name for this icon is "Christ in the Margins," echoing the call in Matthew 25 to … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Lectionary Commentary, Sermons, Spiritual Practices, Uncategorized 14 Comments

Spiritual Practice: “Visio Divina”

November 10, 2011 By
jcfl-icon-friendship-in-christ

I recently attended a plenary session facilitated by Trevor Hudson, an author and retreat leader from Johannesburg, South Africa. He invited us to experiment with a spiritual practice known as visio divina ("divine seeing") on the icon "Christ and Abbot Mena" (late 6th-early 7th century, housed at the Louvre): … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Spiritual Practices

BOOK REVIEW: Richard Foster’s "Sanctuary of the Soul"

October 14, 2011 By Leave a Comment

(Richard Foster, Sanctuary of the Soul: Journey into Meditative Prayer (InterVarsity Press, 2011), 164 pages. Richard Foster is best known for his book Celebration of Discipline, a bestseller he published in 1978 (the year I was born), which has sold more than two million copies worldwide. This book encourages Christians to focus on "The Inward Disciples" of meditation, prayer, fasting, and study; "The Outward Disciplines" of simplicity, solitude, submission, and service; and "The … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Book Reviews, Spiritual Practices Leave a Comment

REVIEW: "The Artist’s Rule: Nurturing Your Creative Soul with Monastic Wisdom"

August 16, 2011 By

(Christine Valters Paintner, The Artist's Rule: Nurturing Your Creative Soul with Monastic Wisdom, 2001, 173 pages.) Christine Valters Paintner wants to change your life -- in a good way. Macrina Wiederkehr, an actual monk (cloistered in Arkansas of all places), writes in the foreword that this book is an invitation to "spend twelve weeks in the cave of your heart, nurturing your creative soul, and sitting at the feet of your inner monk" (ix). Will you accept the invitation? This book is … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Book Reviews, Spiritual Direction, Spiritual Practices