Tag: bible
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The Pilgrim’s Work of Being Surprised
Early one morning, I walked around Sequiota Park, where I live. The park was quiet, with few people about. In summer, the lake is filled with ducks. As I walked beside it, I prayed, “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me. Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me.” No bolts of lightning or voices from…
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Learning to See, Learning to Trust
Daily Office Reflection for Friday, October 9, 2026Psalms 16, 17, and 22; Sirach 1:1–10, 18–27; Acts 28:1–6; Luke 9:18–27 Sometimes I read a familiar word in the Sacred Writings and realize I am still learning what it means. Wisdom. Trust. Faith. I have heard these words since childhood. I have preached about them, studied them,…
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Learning to Follow Jesus Without Hating Myself
The Curious PilgrimDaily Office ReflectionPsalm 18; Jonah 3:1–4:11; Acts 27:27–44; Luke 9:18–27 My first sermon, when I was fifteen years old, was about taking up our cross and following Jesus. Looking back across the years, I realize that the boy who preached those words was still struggling to understand them. I thought denying myself meant…
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The Road Beneath My Feet
“Set up road markers for yourself;make yourself signposts;consider well the highway,the road by which you went.”—Jeremiah 31:21 I have begun reading The Road to Emmaus: Pilgrimage as a Way of Life by Jim Forest. Chapter One, “The Road,” opens with these words from Jeremiah. Forest describes roads as “the circulatory system of the human race…
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God With Us in the Struggle
Daily Office Reflection — Wednesday, October 7, 2026Psalm 12, 13, 14, 119:1–24; Jonah 1:17–2:10; Acts 27:27–44; Luke 9:1–17 I am having a difficult morning in a difficult week. As I sat with today’s Sacred Writings, I found people struggling, questioning, learning, and needing help. I recognized something of the life we all live. As far…
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Lord, Teach Me to See
The Curious PilgrimDaily Office Reflection — Tuesday, October 6, 2026Psalms 5, 6, 10, 11; Jonah 1:1–17; Acts 26:24–27:8; Luke 8:40–56 Someone recently told me I was neat and organized. To some degree, I suppose I am. But as I sat with today’s Daily Office readings, I began to recognize something deeper beneath the routines of…
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Prayer at the Payroll Desk
Yesterday morning, I sat on a bench in the park. It was early and quiet. There was room to breathe, look around, and pray: “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me.” This morning, I prayed those same words on my way to work. Then I arrived at the nonprofit where I do payroll, and the…
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But as for Me
Daily Office ReflectionMonday, October 5, 2026Psalms 1, 2, 3, 4, and 7; Micah 7:1–7; Acts 26:1–23; Luke 8:26–39 As I sit with today’s Sacred Writings, I keep returning to the words of Micah: “But as for me, I will look to the Lord;I will wait for the God of my salvation;my God will hear me.”—Micah…
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When Love Moves from the Head to the Heart
At 77, I am discovering that something I learned many years ago still has more to teach me. I have studied love, preached about love, and tried to live a loving life. I loved my wife and love my children very much. I have known wonderful friendships and the warmth of belonging among people who…
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Knowing Who We Are, Learning How to Live
The Curious PilgrimDaily Office Reflection — Sunday, October 4, 2026Psalms 111, 112, 113, 146, 147; Micah 6:1–8; 1 Corinthians 4:9–16; Matthew 15:21–28 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” I have been sitting with those words today. What does it mean to fear God? What does it mean to be wise? And…
