Tag Archives: Christianity

Save the World? Don’t Look at Me!

Posted on December 31, 2018 by

Earlier this year I read Assimilate or Go Home: Notes From a Failed Missionary on Rediscovering Faith (San Francisco: Harper One, 2016) by D.L. Mayfield. Mayfield is a young woman of faith who spent much of her early adulthood volunteering … Continue reading →

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Cold Comfort at the Church of the Dancing Girl

Posted on November 24, 2018 by

I have mixed feelings about attending unfamiliar churches. On the one hand, it’s interesting to see the worship practices of various faith communities and meaningful to join with them in the majestic, never-ending stream of praise that, if the book … Continue reading →

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The Seven Deadly Sins for Seniors: Sloth

Posted on March 15, 2018 by

This is the third post in a series about the seven deadly sins.  I have been reading and discussing with a church men’s group a book on the topic, Glittering Vices: A New Look at the Seven Deadly Sins and Their … Continue reading →

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The Seven Deadly Sins for Seniors: Vainglory

Posted on March 1, 2018 by

As I wrote in my previous post, the Men’s Group at my church has been reading and discussing the book Glittering Vices: A New Look at the Seven Deadly Sins and Their Remedies by the philosopher Rebecca Konyndyk DeYoung. The … Continue reading →

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Among the Stones (Far from the Madding Crowd)

Posted on August 21, 2017 by

It’s been a contemplative summer. I read a book on Centering Prayer, a contemplative form of Christian prayer, and have tried to incorporate aspects of it into my spiritual practice. I’ve been slowly working my way through New Seeds of … Continue reading →

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The Silver Lining While Waiting for Healing

Posted on March 29, 2017 by

I’ve had a difficult time of it recently. Though the surgery I had in February was successful, I was rehospitalized a couple weeks later with complications. Urine was leaking into my abdomen, causing severe pain. The doctors fitted me with … Continue reading →

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A Wineskin in the Smoke

Posted on February 28, 2017 by

I had surgery a week ago. I had only undergone surgery under general anesthetic once before, an outpatient surgery about fifteen years ago. This time, I had a cancerous body part removed, meaning I was unconscious for longer than during … Continue reading →

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Spiritual Simplification, or Jesus at the Door with Burgers, Fries, and a Drink

Posted on December 3, 2015 by

Several months ago, I started a series of posts in response to theologian Lewis Joseph Sherrill’s contention that simplification is the primary psychological task of late adulthood. Sherrill described simplification as “distinguishing the more important from the less important, getting … Continue reading →

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Retirement Leisure vs. Sabbath Rest

Posted on April 21, 2015 by

I wrote a few months ago about leisure in retirement, suggesting that one benefit of leisure is to remind us that the value of human life isn’t measured solely by the yardstick of productivity. In this post, I will compare leisure with something else that involves … Continue reading →

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Ash Wednesday: You’re Gonna Die

Posted on February 16, 2015 by

I’m writing this a few days before Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent in the Christian calendar. Most Ash Wednesday services give participants the opportunity to have ashes–a symbol of mortality–rubbed on their foreheads. The presiding minister says something like “Remember … Continue reading →

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