Category Archives: Spirtual Practice

Finding nourishment vs. identifying poison

Posted on May 21, 2020 by Jeff

I follow Austin Kleon’s blog on what he’s doing as an artist and a person. Yesterday’s post, Finding nourishment vs. identifying poison, was very helpful on finding a way forward in these trying times.

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Nick Cave on Prayer

Posted on April 23, 2020 by Jeff

A Prayer to who? is the most powerful thing I’ve read on prayer. Requires no belief except the possibility that prayer will change something, perhaps ourselves.

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Corona Creatives – Austin History Center

Posted on April 22, 2020 by Jeff

The Austin History Center is soliciting materials for their “The COVID-19 Files: Austin Responds to a Pandemic” archives. Their archivists encourage you to keep a journal, write poetry, pen a script, draw or paint, start a video or audio blog … Continue reading →

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Youth ministry isn’t about fun

Posted on April 6, 2020 by Jeff

Excellent and moving story in the Christian Century about how a youth group was transformed by moving to a story telling format for people of all ages.

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Austin – Shaggy Nation

Posted on April 3, 2020 by Jeff

With barbers, beauty salons, hair and nail dressers, and dry cleaners all closed, Austin is going to get shaggy looking. Working from home or video conferences with the video off, it won’t matter. Shopping? Maybe nobody cares as long as … Continue reading →

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Beautifully Broken

Posted on January 27, 2020 by Jeff

A blog post by one of my favorite writers, Austin Kleon, and a YouTube video by one of my favorite musicians, Warren Hayes keep banging up up against each other in my head/heart. The song is “Beautifully Broken”. The post … Continue reading →

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Niebuhr on Preaching

Posted on December 23, 2019 by Jeff

I hope my preaching will comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. Reinhold Niebuhr This was one of the meditations today in the worship service. It is catchy, memorable, and a nice play on words. I don’t like it for … Continue reading →

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Agenda

Posted on November 9, 2019 by Jeff

As my practice deepens, my agenda deepens with it. What I do and what is off the table is key. For rank and file cloistered monastics this is not a question. A higher-up or the tradition decides when they rise, … Continue reading →

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The Southern Cliff – a Bigger God

Posted on November 5, 2019 by Jeff

The above picture of the Southern Cliff in the Lagoon Nebula is from NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD) blog. It is beautiful and five light years high. From Earth it cannot be seen with the naked eye. The … Continue reading →

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Rituals

Posted on October 10, 2019 by Jeff

Most creatives have rituals to get them started. Steven Pressfield blogs on the writng process. He writes fiction and creative fiction, but most of his advice applies to any creative endeavor. His latest, “Get Up! Begin Your Day!”, details his … Continue reading →

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