"Whatever job we get and whatever task we are assigned can serve as a container for grace" (Eugene Peterson in "Practical Resurrection").
We pray that the words and sentences on this blog may also serve as "containers of grace" for its readers.
What Readers are Saying
sallyhoekstra on Going Deeper With God: Finding… Joy on Checking In Joy on From Karen
Category Archives: Living as Apprentices
The Mark of a Great Disciple
“The mark of a great ship handler is never getting in a situation that requires great ship handling skills” (Retired Admiral James Stavridis in his new book Sea Power). I heard this gem during an interview with Admiral Stavridis on NPR’s … Continue reading
Posted in Living as Apprentices
Tagged Admiral James Stavridis, discipleship, Donald Trump, Eugene Peterson, Morning Edition
Comments Off on The Mark of a Great Disciple
A Cloak of Perfection
This blog now hosts more than 640 posts. I’m re-blogging this post from September 9, 2015 because it deals with our number #1 spiritual problem – the endless search for perfection. “All this preoccupation with your own imperfection is not humility, … Continue reading
Posted in Living as Apprentices
Tagged Evelyn Underhill, false narratives, perfection
Comments Off on A Cloak of Perfection
Patterns
Recently I watched a TV show focused on the difficulty of understanding the Trump presi- dency. One commentator offered a suggestion as to why many of us are so puzzled (and aggravated) by the president’s words and actions. He said that the … Continue reading
Posted in Living as Apprentices
Tagged continual spiritual formation, Donald Trump, patterns
7 Comments
What if We were Put to the Test?
Recently, I watched Silence, Martin Scorsese’s latest movie about two Jesuit priests who travel to 17th century Japan looking for a missing fellow priest. They are befriended by a covert group of Japanese Christians who suffer extreme persecution by the Japanese government which … Continue reading
Posted in Living as Apprentices
Tagged Open Doors USA, persecution of Christians
Comments Off on What if We were Put to the Test?
Digging for Truth
This blog now contains over 630 posts. Here, slightly revised, is a post that was first published on June 10, 2015 – and is even more important today. “Is the Pope a communist?” This opening line of a Heart and Soul … Continue reading
Posted in Living as Apprentices
Tagged fact checking, looking for the truth, Mark K. Shriver, Pope Francis
2 Comments
The Baffled Mind
“It may be that when we no longer know what to do, we have come to our real work and when we no longer know which way to go, we have begun our real journey. The mind that is not … Continue reading
Posted in Living as Apprentices
Tagged Albert Einstein, faith, questioning, Wendell Berry
Comments Off on The Baffled Mind
Jesus’ Guidelines for Success
This blog now hosts more than 600 posts. I’m re-posting this one from November 6, 2015 because “success” is being touted ad nauseam by politicians, CEO’s, and popular (and not so popular) writers. But what is success? Richard Rohr makes … Continue reading
Posted in Living as Apprentices
Tagged Kingdom of God, Richard Rohr, successful living, Twelve Steps
Comments Off on Jesus’ Guidelines for Success
Waiting for Direction
This blog hosts more than 600 posts. I am re-posting this revised piece from May, 2014, because I have learned that waiting is a useful lesson for all of us. I’m learning, in writing and in life, that sometimes we … Continue reading
Living as Apprentices 