Tag: Christian formation

The Humility Substitute

Posted on by Michael Rose
We sat across the table from each other, sipping our coffee. He wasted no time. “Mike, the first time we met I would have told you I had perfect doctrine. I wouldn’t have said it that way, but the truth is I thought my doctrine was perfect. For the past 47 years, I have been…
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Loved into Love

Posted on by Michael Rose
The daily lectionary reading for today included a passage from Galatians 5. It contrasts the works of selfishness (flesh) and that of love (the Spirit). I like the way that Eugene Peterson’s The Message renders it: “It is obvious what kind of life develops out of trying to get your own way all the time:…
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Used by God – Revisited

Posted on by Michael Rose
The great poet T.S. Eliot once wrote: We shall not cease from exploration And the end of all our exploring Will be to arrive where we started And know the place for the first time.

 A profound turn of phrase and very true if we live even slightly awake. It is most certainly true with…
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Sun behind all suns – Prayer

Posted on by Michael Rose
Sun behind all suns, Soul behind all souls, ….. Show to us in everything we touch and in everyone we meet the continued assurance of Your presence ‘round us: lest ever we should think you are absent. In all created things You are there. In every friend we have the sunshine of Your presence is shown…
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Can’t Buy the Kingdom of God

Posted on by Michael Rose
There is a virus that seeks to hijack healthy spirituality. In effect, it makes not only our faith very small, but it makes us smaller as people. The difficulty is that this virus masquerades as a form of godliness, and it works it’s toxicity subtlely at first, and before we know it, we are scratching…
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Joy of Good News

Posted on by Michael Rose
There are many kinds of good news. The best news for me was the birth of my three sons, and seeing them each succeed in their own ways. For some, good news may be winning the lottery or an all clear on a medical test, getting a new job or buying a new car. We…
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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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