Monthly Archives: September 2012

Practicing Awareness, with Richard Rohr

September 9, 2012 By in Reviews Leave a comment

I’ve recently been reading Richard Rohr’s The Naked Now, another of his many books and resources for contemplative spirituality. These days I acknowledge my bent toward contemplation (but please don’t mistake me for a devotee of Schleiermacher), just as I grow stronger in my confessional identity (thanks to Luther and Melancthon). And so, I admit to entertaining Rohr somewhat skeptically. I don’t love his overt weaving of non-Christian theology into his take on Christian spirituality. I suppose that’s borne from my feelings that so many people kidnap Scripture and weave embedded theologies that seem so self-destructive. I hate to bring in non-Christian sources when we can’t even seem to get Scripture right.

Yet, I do recognize the importance of keeping somewhat open-minded, in order to discover elements from Rohr that can have rich meaning for my own experience of faith. With that, I was reading Rohr’s Appendix 4 – “Practicing Awareness.” He offers a 4-step method for a form of centering prayer, and I felt so moved to reflect on it here.

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Crossing Analysis for Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23

September 8, 2012 By in Reflections Leave a comment

Well, it’s certainly been a while since I’ve posted! With everything happening through my discernment process, helping with the downtown Bible study, starting class at Christian Theological Seminary, yadda yadda, some things start to fall by the wayside.

I’ve been connected to the Crossings community for a few years now (time has a habit of moving on). I’ve learned a lot about reading Scripture from them, and their ways of thinking have steadily impacted my own thinking, and understanding of my faith. With this, I’ve wanted to start writing my own Crossings analyses for a long time, but just never got around to it.

And there’s my persistent open question of what this blog is for. Like discernment, there’s wondering what to write about, even as I begin to have assignments and writing that I have to do. So like with everything, perhaps this is a place to begin stretching and exploring through a new exercise. Anyway, here goes, and perhaps this will become a regular faith practice for me.

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