Tag: everyday spirituality

Preparing and Repairing

Posted on by Michael Rose
As we progress through the season of Advent, we continue with our reflection, practices, and preparation in anticipation of the incarnation of love in the Christ child. This week I have been prayerfully considering the ideas of preparing and repairing. The Gospel reading below tells of John the Baptizer, the forerunner of Jesus, and whose task…
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Rugged Hope

Posted on by Michael Rose
  The Psalmist once wrote that hope deferred makes the heart sick. The Old Testament is full of stories of a people who wrestled with hope. In the face of crushing defeats, plagues, exile, and captivity after captivity these people persevered. They managed through generations of tragedy to find the grace to persevere when many…
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Blessed – A Present Reality

Posted on by Michael Rose
Many of us are familiar with the Beatitudes in Matthew 5.  You know, Blessed are the poor.  Blessed are the … . There are two words that translate into “Blessed” in first century Judaism. The first, in Hebrew beraka (and the Greek eulogeo) and this word, isn’t used in the Beatitudes. This word is used in prayer asking…
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Looking for Love in all the Wrong Places

Posted on by Michael Rose
Once upon a time, a Sufi mystic was searching for something on the street outside her small hut. The sun was setting, and darkness was descending, as few people gathered around her. “What have you lost? What are you searching for?  Perhaps we can help,” they said. “I have lost my needle.” The mystic replied. One of the people said, “Well, the sun…
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Jesus’ Gospel is Confrontational

Posted on by Michael Rose
I have been thinking about some conventional wisdom – that one should stay away from talking about the contentious issues because they are a “no win”. That choosing sides will only get you embroiled in debates. It was suggested that staying clear of these debates will free one to talk about Jesus and his Kingdom. My…
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We ARE Chosen

Posted on by Michael Rose
How many of us remember the ad-hoc choosing of teams in the school yard? “I’ll take Jimmy.”  “I’ll take Jane” and so forth until there is a lone person left and chosen by default.  There were times when I was growing up that I found myself the last to be chosen.  It is an awkward feeling to not…
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