Years ago a therapist prescribed for me the daily practice of praying the famous Serenity Prayer to help me navigate anxiety. While this prayer is usually associated with recovery groups, it has much broader application for many other personal afflictions. I was asked to look up the “full version” which I didn’t know existed. It is medicine to the soul. … More Soul Medicine: Full Serenity Prayer
David’s life is a compelling study of contrasts—victor and sinner, poet and warrior. The upcoming series at MainStreet Covenant will explore some key episodes from David’s life which reflect humanity’s struggles and divine connection. Participants are encouraged to read and choose a Psalm that represents the season they are living in as we begin a new year together. … More David and the Psalms
This is my imaginative first person account of Zechariah’s story found in the Luke 1 shared at our Advent Service this Sunday. I come from a very religious family and background. A family of priests in the order of Abijah to be exact (1 Chr 24; Neh 12). I then doubled down on religious piety … More Zechariah’s Silent Retreat
Join us this Sunday as we kick off Advent with my original script that tries to get us inside the heart and mind of Zechariah, and experience his story like never before. He had no idea the surprise God had in store when he entered that holy sanctuary to offer incense. What might God have in store for us as we enter the chapel at St. Martin’s and into the Advent season together? … More Come Hear Zechariah’s Story
The Fifth Sunday in Lent reminds us of the necessity of enduring hardships for growth and maturity, both spiritually and in all aspects of life. Just as a diamond forms under pressure, Jesus’ suffering leads to glorification. We are called to embrace present challenges for future joy, allowing God to shape us into immortal diamonds through adversity. … More Crushed Bones into Spiritual Diamonds
We sat in a sacred circle with a chair placed in the center. Myself and about a dozen other pastors were on retreat at St. Mary of the Lake north of Chicago back on October 8-13. We each took a turn sitting in the “hot seat” where we held a candle in our lap and … More God’s Healing Light
“What if all of my quiet times with God could be so electric and real? What if my prayers felt less like a floppy paper airplanes crashing into the carpet, and more like bright bolts of lightning flashing across the sky?” … More Christmas on Mt. Mystic 3: Dazzling Light
A friend shared this prayer of Thomas Merton with me. I enjoy my occasional morning walks with Merton in the woods. He’s a great guide to get lost with in the woods, and deep thought! … More Lost in the Woods with Merton
Awhile back I shared my kids’ custom bedtime prayers about dinosaurs roaring and monsters tickling feet. We grown-ups are watching living monsters lurk and nightmare scenarios discussed on the nightly news. Here’s my bedtime prayer. … More My Bedtime Prayer These Days
Today we are watching our nation’s Capitol, the great symbol and center of our democracy, be stormed by protestors, while our Congressional leaders hide behind locked doors, and the sitting president hides behind his twitter account. These are unnerving sights to behold and a frightening moment for our democracy. As Christians, what are we to … More A Call to Prayer & Repentance for the Soul of our Nation
If you’re like me, this New Year’s Eve you can’t decide if you feel like singing for joy as we put 2020 in the rearview, or whether you feel like crying alone in a corner, sucking your thumb, and loading up on comfort food to numb the pain and trauma of 2020. The wisdom of the Scriptures would suggest we probably need to sing most when we mostly feel like crying. … More A New Year, A New Song
“If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” – 2 Chronicles 7:14 This oft quoted scripture is a classic “if/then” conditional promise from God. … More God, Heal Our Land
I went to the polling place to cast my votes, and ended up casting non-partisan prayers for all the candidates. As I stood over that ballot with pen in hand, looking at all the names and offices, tears dropped down indiscriminately on the ovals below. I turned that little space into a prayer closet and portal to the King of Kings. … More Prayers & Tears at the Poll
Jesus, the very thought of thee with sweetness fills my breast. But greater still thy face to see and in thy presence, rest.
~St. Bernard of Clairvaux … More A Prayer of St. Bernard of Clairvaux
A prayer from Reinhold Niebuhr (1892 – 1971) … More A Prayer in the Confusion
Almighty God, who sits on the throne judging right… … More Two Prayers for Justice
A Sunday Prayer for a people in Quarantine … More God of All Patience
If I’m honest, I think the image of heads praying against a stonewall hits too close to home for pathetic pray-ers like me. Haven’t we all tried to draw nearer to God’s presence in prayer, but felt like our prayers were deflecting off of a glass ceiling or crashing into a thick stone wall? … More Stonewall Faith & Prayers
Life is short, And we do not have much time to gladden the hearts of those who travel with us. So… be swift to love, and make haste to be kind. And the blessing of God, who made us, who loves us, and who travels with us be with you now and forever. AMEN
Do you struggle to pray? Does your mind drift and wander off? Let’s turn one of the most familiar Scriptures of the Christmas season into a prayer. … More A Christmas Prayer (Isaiah 9:6)
Here’s a retelling of a parable through the lenses of the Enneagram. Jesus told this parable to some who trusted in their False Self, thinking they were the better personality Type and regarded other Enneagram Types with contempt: “Two different personality types went up to the temple to pray, one a self-righteous Type One and … More A Parable Retold
“Justify my soul, O God, but also from Your fountains fill my will with fire. Shine in my mind, although perhaps this means “be darkness to my experience,” but occupy my heart with Your tremendous Life. Let my eyes see nothing in the world but Your glory, and let my hands touch nothing that is … More Prayer of Thomas Merton
LECTIONARY REFLECTION| LUKE 11:1-13 NEWS FLASH! JESUS WAS NOT A CHRISTIAN! Most people, Christians and non-Christians alike, recognize that Jesus Christ is the center of the Christian faith. Even the name of our religion – CHRISTianity – reflects the importance of Jesus Christ to us. Christians, as a group, tend to forget that Jesus was a … More Jesus-Shaped Prayer (Mike Fox)
LECTIONARY REFLECTION | COLOSSIANS 1:1-14 This week’s New Testament lesson comes from Paul’s letter to the church at Colossae. Read full passage here. Paul does a couple things here that we can learn from and imitate. First, Paul takes the time to say thank you. Paul affirms who the Colossians are right now – “To God’s … More Two Go-To Habits (Mike Fox)
by Skye Jethani Jean Vanier, the founder of the L’Arche communities who died just a few weeks ago, often used a simple metaphor to explain his ministry with the mentally handicapped. With his hands cupped he would say, “Suppose I have a wounded bird in my hands. What would happen if I closed my hands … More The Space for Growth (Skye Jethani)
Jeremy L. Berg 