It wouldn’t be Lent without one “temptation in the wilderness”  post. We are all familiar with  the story, after being baptized, Jesus wanders into the desert and is tempted by the devil for forty days. The last three temptations being — bread for a starving Jesus, all the kingdoms of the world, and to throw…

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I read recently, “That size itself defeats the purpose of peace. Beyond, a certain mass, the weight of institutional self-preservation crushes the accountability the other virtues rely on to grow among the members of society.” I think the author is wrong. Peace begins with the transformation of the spirit, heart by heart, not nation by nation. We…

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Humility is about learning one’s place in the world. But to understand this Benedictine pillar, I think we need to understand another Benedictine pillar – stewardship. Humility is more complex and demanding than mere self-abnegation.  It is not our calling to refuse to acknowledge one’s gifts. To do so would be as wrong as claiming gifts…

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“For minds to think, and hearts to love, and hands to serve, We thank you, Lord. – The Book of Common Prayer, p.837 What a wonderful summation of our calling. Most of the time I over think and stew too much. I look for signs of God’s call for me and wait, and wait, and…

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A new friend sent me the following after  yesterday’s Pew: A vision without a task is (but) a dream.         A task without a vision is drudgery.         (But) A vision and a task are the hope of the world! ——  from a church in Sussex, England c 1730 It sums up what I poorly was…

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