day 4: for preparation

‘What comes into our minds when we think about God  is the most important thing about us.’ A.W. Tozer I reach for the empty suitcase, and wonder if today is the day when I will have enough energy to discern what needs to be put in it.   And then I run out of days.Continue reading “day 4: for preparation”

day 3: for change

The ancient Christian monastic traditions, especially desert, Celtic, and Benedictine, offer great wisdom for the journey of unfolding. They understood that the soul’s ripening is never to be rushed and takes a lifetime of work. The gift of the contemplative path is a profound honoring of the grace of slowness.  We can grow impatient whenContinue reading “day 3: for change”

day 2: for emptiness

It might seem that we have to generate the sense of openness, freshness, joy, revelry, or stillness we touch in such moments. From the Buddhist perspective, however, such a state of being is already there within us and has been so since the beginning. It’s tantalizing to think that perhaps expansiveness lies waiting to beContinue reading “day 2: for emptiness”

Sunday 1: make room for travelling

Oh, Great Spirit, whose voice I hear in the winds and whose breath gives life to all the world, hear me. I am small and weak. I need your strength and wisdom. Let me walk in beauty and make my eyes ever behold the red and purple sunset. Make my hands respect the things youContinue reading “Sunday 1: make room for travelling”

#adventapertures is back in 2024

After a break of a couple of years, I decided I wanted to write another series of daily photo reflections for Advent 2024. These #adventapertures (as I call them) bring a huge variety of source material together – from poetry, news journalism, cultural comment, scientific insight and music to biblical writings and liturgy. Each dayContinue reading “#adventapertures is back in 2024”