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I shared in a recent blog about my wife’s cousin, Scott (age 56) and his courageous struggle with brain cancer. He died recently. I was privileged to be able to give the eulogy at his funeral. It was a joy, even though it was Scott’s funeral, to share our journey over the the last three…
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Richard Rohr made an interesting observation regarding his journey. He prays each day for one good humiliation. I have thought a lot about that comment. I have asked God to help me accept gracefully those events in my daily life that are humbling. We read in I Peter 5:5-6, “All of you, clothe yourselves with…
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A spiritual writer, who has helped me on the journey is Father Thomas Keating ( I discovered him in 1984). He makes this observation regarding a quote from St Therese of Lisieux, “This is one to the greatest insights of all time into the nature of God and of our relationship to him.” Here is…
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Spiritual author, Ronald Rolheiser made this interesting observation about men and women. “Men suffer more from gender depression than woman do.” He sites the work of Robert Moore, a University of Chicago anthropologist, who maintains that men struggle to relate to women not because they have lost touch with their feminine side, but rather because…
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In his book on male depression, Terrence Real makes this interesting statement: “A boy’s disavowal of the “feminine” in himself falls into two spheres: rejection of expressivity and rejection of vulnerability.” I recently wrote a blog on the need for men to be both tough and tender. Being expressive of our feelings and having a…
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This blog is very personal. It has to do with Scott, my wife’s cousin. He is a man in his 50’s who is dying of brain cancer. Judy and I recently visited with Scott and his wife, Kathy. We talked together about Scott’s deteriorating condition and his departure from this life. Scott and I…
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Awhile back I preached for my pastor. I choose John 11, the story of Lazarus being raised from dead as my text. It is a wonderful text to use when speaking about transformation. I understand transformation to be change from “the inside out.” That is, the Spirit of God is allowed to enter the…
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A book that deeply impacted my life in the 80’s was Robert Bly’s “Iron John.” I never forgot his discussion of “soft males.” “They’re not interested in harming the earth or starting wars. There’s a gentle attitude toward life in their whole being and style of living. But many of these men are not happy.…
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When I am reading, I often run across a quote that I sense will speak to men on the journey. This quote is from William McDavid. “Being loved with weaknesses, being truly loved and being self-sufficient are in conflict. Being loved, at its height, means being loved within our weakness and failures, being loved in…
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Recently I read two articles, each containing a statement that I thought was insightful for those of are followers of Jesus in our present day culture. The first was from Robert P. George, professor of jurisprudence at Princeton University and a professing Christian. He stated: “The days of acceptable Christianity are over.” He observed that…