Connections with people within and without our church walls is vital for the life of our church. Has our inability to connect with the world around us sealed the death nail in our church coffin? How do we ministry with rather than for people In preacher school, we learn about missiology or the academic study of Christian mission history and methodology. My study was taught by an amazing woman preacher by the name of (Dr.) Diane Lobody and she had... Read more
I had Coffee With Jesus recently, it had been a minute, and we needed to catch up. After our usual pleasantries, we ordered our coffees, mine black, like Goth black and for Jesus, this time was an Americano, he said he with a wink that he liked the way the water made it taste more like coffee. It is beginning to look a lot like pumpkin spice season up here in the Northern parts of America and leaves are... Read more
Religious radicalization is a global concern and a threat to traditional religious ideologies. In the religion class I teach at the Community College, I explain to my students that the world religion comes from the Latin word, re ligio, which means to bring together. What then has religion become today when we are so divided along simple expressions of belonging as suggested by Jesus such as “love your neighbor?” or “do unto others”. Why have we planted our subjective faith... Read more
Suprisinginly, Jesus was Jewish and he liked to eat. He was not bougee either, he could throw down a feast with a few loaves of bread and some fish. Jesus engages in 10 dinner parties over the course of the Gospel of Luke. Along the way, he teaches us not only how to eat, but also how to embrace the spiritual practices of enthusiasm Connections, Joy and Hospitality. This week, I want to look at how Jesus embraced the... Read more
Transitions are hard. A couple of weeks back, we had our Giannamore annual back to school family ice cream dinner. Here, we take one night out of the summer and have huge bowls of ice cream filled with all the fixings. This is a tradition we have been doing with our kids since our oldest was in grade school. The leaves have begun flirting with us by giving us a small preshow of their colors. Then, last week, somebody turned... Read more
Last week, I offered part 1 on my reflection on how to use the 12 Steps as a guide for spiritual growth. This week, I would like to continue and conclude my exploration with the 12 steps. As a note of respect, I am not an alcoholic, my ponderings this week and last week reflect my exposure to AA across all the disciplines I have studied in my professional career. If you are someone who is struggling with an addictive... Read more
There are many guides to help us in our spiritual journeys. This week, I want to consider Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and their 12-step philosophy and its practical application to our spiritual journey. Alcoholics Anonymous Alcoholics Anonymous was founded in America in 1935 by Bill Wilson and Robert Smith. Both were self-identified alcoholics and indeed met or meet the criteria for alcohol use disorder. In England, the Oxford Group predated the American Alcoholics Anonymous. The Oxford Group was a Christian fellowship... Read more
As a spiritual discipline, listening enhances our discernment, our awareness of the input we receive on a daily basis. The Rule of Saint Benedict encourages us to “incline the ears of our heart.” Listening is a spiritual practice that not only strengthens our ability to connect with God, but also connect with others on a deeper, more intimate level. I am a mental health clinician; I spend many hours a week listening. In this conversation, I want to explore active... Read more
Reverence as a Practice Reverence is a spiritual practice. By engaging in the practice, we enhance our feelings of worth and awe. I have talked extensively about mental and physical health. As a Personal Trainer and Mental Health Therapist, physical and mental health go together, but to get a person to marry the two together can be problematic, often because of one’s lack of reverence for oneself. Reverence according to Mary Ann and Frederic Brussat is “Reverence is the way... Read more
This is a post that focuses on the spiritual practice of you. You are a precious gift from the divine. You are potential seat of Christ, and you are loved. Each of us is a work in progress and there is always room for improvement. We are not just human beings, we are human becomings. No matter what you are going through right now, no matter how bad it will be tomorrow or the next day, you are loved, and... Read more
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