Dec 19, 2015
Jesus said the way to be first is to be last; the way to life abundantly is to die to self; and the way to maturity is to become like a little child. In this episode we examine the Fifth Rule of the Spiritual Life: Let God be Your Father. One of the greatest challenges […]
Dec 16, 2015
Ever since Plato, it has been tempting to equate “spiritual” with “ideal” – to imagine that spiritual growth is a way out of the pains and sufferings and frustrations of life. And many a well-intentioned person has taken up the life of prayer in the hope of transcendence (escape?). But perfection does not...
Nov 13, 2015
Here we continue our look at the classical tradition of Christian spiritual formation by examining the Benedictine vow of stability – the commitment to stay put, to stay engaged in our most valuable relationships and to work out the discipline of love within them. Our 21st century culture is more mobile and...
Oct 21, 2015
This is an episode about the commitment to endurance and its essential role in the process of our spiritual formation. Classically, we are warned that one of the most deadly poisons to the spiritual life is despair. And by despair we don’t mean depression, sadness, frustration…even very serious doubt. Despair is...
Oct 14, 2015
As we take our next step in our understanding of Christian spiritual practice, it is essential to remember that the goal of our practice is not “discipline,” but relationship. We are not aiming to be good at “spirituality,” but to love – and, ultimately, to be loved by – God. Relationship does...