Speaking or writing about spirituality is foolishness. The moment words are used to describe the phenomenon, one is moving away from the experience. Spirituality is ineffable. And still…. Spirituality is a vital component of the human experience. An individual’s spirit is a key ingredient in action, from the heroic to the mundane. Spirituality is aContinue reading “Introducing…….”
Author Archives: Joshua David
Church: The Ugly
Intro: Have you ever been in a situation that gets ugly? Maybe it’s a breakup, or a fight. A NASCAR wreck or classic Jerry Springer episode. When things get ugly they aren’t good, that’s for sure. They’re too compelling to be ‘bad’ in a traditional sense. Ugly is part of a different continuum than good-bad.Continue reading “Church: The Ugly”
Church: The Bad
Do you know anyone who couldn’t say anything bad about their church, or their denomination? The Church, and probably your specific church, has many good qualities. Indeed the Church has a portfolio of good works begun which became institutions birthed, about which I spoke in my last post. Many of the positive aspects of ourContinue reading “Church: The Bad”
Church: The Good
I am an Episcopal priest. This makes me (if I so choose) a professionally religious, professionally Christian person. Like most people who get into something whimsical professionally, I probably did so because I was a decent amateur. I have had a life long experience in the Church through her many iterations. I have been activeContinue reading “Church: The Good”
Recognizing Melchizedek
Who the heck is Melchizedek? Or is it Malki Tzedek? Who is to say. Many people know the leading cast of the Bible: Adam, Eve, Abraham, Sarah, Moses, Ruth, David, Jesus, etc. In that mix we have this figure, Melchizedek, the Canaanite priest-king of the ancient city Salem. The earliest Christians associated him with theContinue reading “Recognizing Melchizedek”
Book Review: The Soul of the Apostolate
We all know that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. What they rarely tell us is that the road to heaven is also paved with good intentions. The operative difference in all the roads our soul could travel, according to Dom Jean-Baptiste Chautard (O.C.S.O.), is where it is going and how deeplyContinue reading “Book Review: The Soul of the Apostolate”
Your Story, God’s Power
Below is an example of a public narrative given as an example to the Multnomah County cohort of the Land and Housing Coalition. A public narrative is a focused exercise designed to connect the story of self to the story of community in a way that results in a clear, concrete action. This specific styleContinue reading “Your Story, God’s Power”
Book Review: Peak
On the other side of the deep pool of spirit inside each person is the outlet, the acting out, their performance. Each person is malleable and adaptable according to their desire and will power. One’s actions and impact are the only worthwhile fruit of any inner work (James 2:14-26). Acting with intention in a wayContinue reading “Book Review: Peak”
Why Are We Here?
The following was delivered as a sermon at Lynchwood Christian Church in Portland, Oregon on November 8th as part of their series on ‘Brave Questions’. The readings for this are Genesis 1:1-3, 28-30 and Revelation 21:1-8 *** Addressing ‘Brave Questions’ is essential to the process of growth, learning, and conversion. When considering the broad sweepContinue reading “Why Are We Here?”
Power in Practice
I have experienced many times in my life as a priest that talking to people of good faith about power can be uncomfortable. We have heard many times that power corrupts. Many people involved in organized religion have been hurt by institutional betrayal at the hands of powerful people. Some describe this phenomena as powerContinue reading “Power in Practice”
Joshua David Kingsley 