paravanes:meditations

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. Disclaimer: I am not a certified counselor or social worker or therapist. It is possible you may benefit from working with a qualified professional while seeking recovery from severe setbacks or deep wounding. What I share here is my personal experience and insight. Please do not be afraid to seek professional help. Seeking professional help is not a negative statement on your spiritual development or your spiritual condition.  I generally do not recommend seeking therapy or long term counseling from ministers or church leaders. Few ministers or church leaders are trained, certified counselors or therapists. While well intentioned, untrained individuals may not have current knowledge of psychology, brain science, emotional illnesses, or know how to use effective c...

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we have also forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. Forgive. This is a tough subject to write about this month, on this day.  Today is the celebration of Juneteenth. This month is the anniversary of the murder by a white supremacist of nine Black people who were in a Bible study in a church in Charleston, South Carolina.  Why does forgiveness appear over and over in the Christian tradition? How could forgiveness be honest or even sensible in an environment of systemic injustice? This is about forgiveness for deep woundings, not about forgiving someone who takes a parking spot you want, or won't move over to allow you a seat on the bus or train.  In order to know what a thing is, be sure of what it is NOT. None of these ideas represent true forgiveness. Forgiv...

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we have also forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. What is our daily bread? Consider this prayer poem about "daily bread." God, I thank you all good gifts come from you. Directly from you. Directly from you through people. Directly from you through the natural world. Directly from you through institutions and organizations. Directly from you through memory and history and wisdom from times past. Give us today Breath, breath, and more breath... Courage Words Actions Breath, breath, and more breath Peace Purpose Focus Energy Breath, breath, and more breath Determination Curiosity Community Connection Commitment Understanding Life. Breath, breath, and more breath. Give us today the courage to speak truth to power. Give us...