What lines from Patrick's Prayer speak most to you, and how can you keep them with you today?

Patrick, a Briton who did significant missionary work in Ireland in the fifth century, wrote the following prayer:

I arise today

Through God's strength to pilot me, God's might to uphold me, God's wisdom to guide me, God's eye to look before me, God's ear to ( Read more... )

Psalm 119:32 says, I will run the course of Your commandments, for you shall enlarge my heart. How can you do that today?

For the Salt Lake City Olympics, the Christian band SonicFlood released a song which has since become a mainstay in worship services, I Want To Know You. Some of its lines are inspired a New Testament passage (I do not recall ( Read more... )

How might God be knocking on your door today?

Recently I was chided for not having posted a journal entry in a few days. I spent the weekend at a friend's house, playing board games with him and another friend, and being entertained by his cute toddler. I returned on Monday. Another set of friends came to visit, and then just after they left I ( Read more... )

What difference would it make in your life if you built open spaces into it?

Balance is important. Right now I have too much time on my hands; I feel unproductive and a bit guilty for not really contributing to the economy. To paraphrase the old line, "All play and no work makes Kie a dull boy". Even without a job, though, I can easily overwork ( Read more... )

In the 4th century, Gregory Of Nyssa exhorted us to "[G]aze upon the infinite beauty of God". When can you do that this week?

Time is not my problem at the moment. I have all day long to myself, to spend as I please. For me, it is a question of discipline. It is a matter of putting aside the batch of muffins I want to bake, or the computer project I ( Read more... )

What inspires you about how the early Christians lived in the period directly following Jesus' Ascention, as described in Acts 2:40-47?

Coming from a political studies background, I have to say that the first thing to hit me is that they seem a bit communist. Acts 2:44-45 states, Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and ( Read more... )

Why do you think monks regard silence and solitude as so vital for a deep knowledge of God?

In some ways it seems ironic: Genesis tells of how God spoke the world into being. Yet according to the Desert Fathers and the monks and nuns who followed after them, to know God, we must be silent. I think perhaps it is because when we are talking, we are ( Read more... )

How do you plan to be intentional about the nurturing of your Spirit today?

This morning, I can feel the hairs on the back of my soul standing on end. His gills are flushed; he is hungry and eager to soak in the sunlight and air all around. I have a strong sense of synergy. This morning's devotion focused on a bit of the Book Of Daniel. Last night I ( Read more... )

What relational tensions are you experiencing which you are trying to cover over rather than face?I might not say that my parents and I have different goals for my life, but even if we have the same ends, our means are different. I think it is important for me to be independent and self-sufficient, but they would prefer that I rely more on them, ( Read more... )

Matthew 7:1 tells us, Judge not, that you be not judged. Is God calling you not to judge someone today?

My first reaction is to say yes, but I am not sure if my problem is judging per se. This morning's devotion covers the passage a little later on in Matthew about removing the plank in one's own eye before attempting to remove the speck in ( Read more... )