In the past I have written about the importance of perspective in symbolic understanding, such as A Symbol Is More Than a Sign and The Beehive of Wisdom. Another place we find symbolic perspective at play in the Christian contemplative tradition is the way The Cloud of Unknowing talks about the Ark of the Covenant. … Continue reading Contemplation, Symbolic Perspectives, and the Ark of the Covenant →

The idea of virtual community is new in the history of the world. Never before have people been able to form the type of daily and personal friendships we see happening all around the world with people they have never met face to face. To all the generations who came before us, the mystery and … Continue reading Community Outside The Box →

There have been so many changes in the world of social media. Some people, like myself, feel the new algorithms governing the various platforms are less conducive to meaningful connection than they once were. A lot of people are looking for alternatives, but not finding what they need. Unfortunately this is likely to continue.  Our … Continue reading A Place To Call Our Own →

So I am excited to share with you all that my good friend Phil Kemp and I have made the first steps towards a second edition of Psalter of the Birds. We haven’t finalised anything yet, so I won’t give you all the details, but I will say we’re going to try and make the … Continue reading The Tree of Life: Medieval Irish Theology in Modern Verse →

About a year ago a collection of short chants came to me through prayer and meditation, each one invoking the blessing of a particular virtue. Not long after they came to me, I attended a retreat led by Cynthia Bourgeault. While I was there I shared one with a couple people and before I knew … Continue reading Songs and Prayers to the Blessed Virtues →

I am very pleased to share this conversation I had with my friend Heather Ruce. We covered a lot of ground in this beautiful, spirit filled chat including: the importance of our embodiment in spiritual practice, human nature in its animal and angelic aspects, egregores and archangels as hyper-agents in human history, remembering the untouchable … Continue reading Rivers of Living Water: Egregores, Archangels, and Our Passions →

Various systems of scriptural interpretation have been developed by Christians over the centuries. Origen of Alexandria compared scripture to a human being, naming three levels of meaning associated with body, mind, and spirit. For Origen, the Bible is a microcosm of the human being. The levels of meaning found within them are one and the … Continue reading Elemental Hermeneutics →

Lent is a season of renunciation, when we embody Jesus' fast in the wilderness, preparing ourselves for Easter. Though Jesus never commands us to fast, he does give us teachings about how to do so. There is an element of secrecy in the way he wants us to do it. It is a prayer which … Continue reading Fasting in Obscurity →

I am very happy to share a conversation I had recently with my friend Kevin Johnson. We discussed Christian animism and it's relevance for the modern world. Sharing from our personal experiences as well as our own study and research, we explore the need for, and the possibility of, new forms of Christianity rooted in … Continue reading Christian Animism: Learning From the Land in Our Modern World →

The recent sermon delivered by Episcopal Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde at the US presidential inauguration has created quite a stir. With repose and precision, she preached the good news of justice for the poor and oppressed. Directly addressing President Trump, she pleaded for mercy and shared the teachings of Jesus. Some of her critics suggest … Continue reading Saint Basil’s Sermon To The Rich →