Category: Meditations
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‘Rejoice’ in Quarantine
Read more: ‘Rejoice’ in QuarantineI can’t remember exactly when I first heard the song, but it was likely on a Sunday morning at Mars Hill Church in Orange County. Co-written by Dustin Kensrue and Stuart Townend, ‘Rejoice’ has been a song with a near-constant presence in the recent years of my life.
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Shame, Fear of Failure, and the Feeding of the Five Thousand
Read more: Shame, Fear of Failure, and the Feeding of the Five ThousandI’ve recently been reading on how shame relates to the fear of failure (McGregor & Elliot, 2005). They argue that shame is core to the fear of failure, as those who have a fear of failure also tend to experience higher levels of shame. I also recently watched this interview with journalist Lisa Ling by…
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Robinson’s Housekeeping and the Promise of Desire
Read more: Robinson’s Housekeeping and the Promise of DesireIn a 2009 interview with Rebecca Painter, Marilynne Robinson responded to the question of loneliness in the religious life saying: “I am not sure religion is meant to assuage loneliness. Who was ever lonelier than Jesus? ‘Can you not watch with me one hour?’ I think loneliness is the encounter with oneself—who can be great…
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“Hurrahing in Harvest”: Exploring an ‘inChristed’ Reality
Read more: “Hurrahing in Harvest”: Exploring an ‘inChristed’ RealityEven in the midst of the industrustrialization of England during the 19th century, poet and priest Gerard Manley Hopkins insists upon the sustaining and revealing presence of Christ in the physical world. In his Petrarchan sonnet, “Hurrahing in Harvest,” the poet, reflecting upon the late summer fields ripe with abundance, encounters Christ whose presence stirs…
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How to Imperfectly Participate in the Kingdom of God Well
Read more: How to Imperfectly Participate in the Kingdom of God WellWe all know at least one perfectionist. They might reside in your home, at your workplace, or in your school. They might be the friend who plans things far in advance (how can they schedule a coffee date 3 months away?). The devil, or the salvation of the world, is in the details over which…
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Choosing Gratitude
Read more: Choosing GratitudeIn Time’s article on “7 Surprising Health Benefits of Gratitude,” Ducharme discusses different benefits of being thankful. The seven benefits include how gratitude can make us more patient, improves relationships, improves self-care, improves sleep, stops overeating, can help ease depression, and give happiness that lasts. These findings aren’t too surprising as it makes sense that…
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The Two Cities goes to Scotland, and Brandon learns a lesson.
Read more: The Two Cities goes to Scotland, and Brandon learns a lesson.I can’t tell if I write about theology or if this has suddenly become a travel blog, but let me fill you in on my last weekend in Scotland. My wife and I (along with John and Logan from this blog) made our way up to Scotland for a few days to catch up and…
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#ForeignerProblems
Read more: #ForeignerProblemsMy wife and I moved to the UK about a month ago and it is going brilliantly. I started a PhD program at Durham and will be here for the next few years. Although my wife and I have been out of the country before, we have never moved to another county. It is quite…
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John of Damascus on Divine Images
Read more: John of Damascus on Divine ImagesSt. John of Damascus penned the Treatises on the Divine Images in response to iconoclasm which swept across the Byzantine Empire under Emperor Leo III. Throughout his three treatise, St. John of Damascus works to distinguish veneration from worship, and he justifies icons imaging Jesus and the saints. As a modern reader the distinction between…
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Advent, Betrothal, and a whole lot of waiting
Read more: Advent, Betrothal, and a whole lot of waitingFor those who don’t know, I am getting married in about 30 days from now. The prospect of this fills me with such joy, primarily because my wife-to-be is my best friend and someone I choose not to live without. There will be so many practical benefits to our marriage: Cutting commute time in half,…