Tag Archives: Clare
Prayer as Surrender
Spirituality of Letting Go: Week 2 Prayer as Surrender Tuesday, September 6, 2016 One must fully recognize that mystics like Francis and Clare lived from a place of conscious, chosen, and loving union with God; such union was realized by surrendering to it, not by achieving it. Surrender to Another, participation with Another, and divine… Continue Reading Prayer as Surrender
Dying to Self
Participation: Week 1 Dying to Self Wednesday, April 6, 2016 In truth, we must change our very self-image rather than just be told some new things to see or do. To be a Christian is to objectively know that we share the same identity that Jesus enjoyed as both human and divine, which is what… Continue Reading Dying to Self
A Larger Knowing
Participation: Week 1 A Larger Knowing Sunday, April 3, 2016 We must know spiritual things spiritually. (See 1 Corinthians 2:12-13) Francis and Clare of Assisi are two prime examples of people who chose to live on the “edge of the inside” rather than front and center and who understood life as participation. As we’ve explored… Continue Reading A Larger Knowing
Cosmos Instead of Churchiness
Alternative Orthodoxy: Week 2 Cosmos Instead of Churchiness Sunday, February 14, 2016 Once you are in an authority position in any institution, your job is to preserve that institution, and your freedom to live and speak the full truth becomes limited. Francis taught us to live on the edge of the church, rather than managing… Continue Reading Cosmos Instead of Churchiness
The Cosmic Christ
Science: Week 1 The Cosmic Christ Thursday, November 5, 2015 Franciscan mysticism has a unique place in the world through its absolutely Christocentric lens, although the Franciscan emphasis is actually nothing more nor less than the full Gospel itself. Most Christians know about Jesus of Nazareth, but very few know about the Christ, and even… Continue Reading The Cosmic Christ
Suffering
“Might the authority of those who suffer bring the diverse cultural and social worlds together?” —Johann Baptist Metz I believe this profound question about suffering, from a modern German theologian, succinctly and precisely expresses the religious breakthrough that Christ has offered humanity. It is also foundational to understanding the unique Franciscan view of the world.… Continue Reading Suffering
The Enduring Spiritual Insight
Jesus: The Christ The Enduring Spiritual Insight Tuesday, March 24, 2015 Francis of Assisi must have known, at least intuitively, that there is only one enduring spiritual insight and everything else follows from it: The visible world is an active doorway to the invisible world, and the invisible world is much larger than the visible.… Continue Reading The Enduring Spiritual Insight