dialogue around the meaning of the words we use when speaking of the mystery we call GOD
My husband and I just returned from Hawaii, celebrating twenty-five years of marriage. We’re in a new season now that our girls are growing up — a reacquainting, really. Learning each other again. Given the relentless pace of raising three daughters, caring for aging parents, and working full-time jobs, our time together has run low... Continue Reading →
As Rev. Nadia Bolz-Weber often says, preaching is a spoken act and so much of the meaning comes in the hearing of it. If you would like to hear/watch this piece, here is the link: https://www.christchurchgp.org/media/347pgvz/sermon-1-18-26 I come from a long line of serious treasure hunters – my family loves to thrift shop and many... Continue Reading →
In today’s Gospel Luke 20:27-38 we hear the Sadducees use a widow—one of the most vulnerable people in their society—as a prop in their theological game. They construct an absurd scenario around her suffering (being widowed seven times) to try and trip Jesus up and make the whole idea of resurrection look foolish. They didn’t actually... Continue Reading →
I had the great honor of preaching at Eucharist yesterday at my church, Christ Church Grosse Pointe Episcopal (click here for a link to listen to the sermon rather than read it). The gospel reading is on the Transfiguration and can be found in Luke 9:28-43. https://youtu.be/eNVBgSvLOvs For those who may need captions, here is... Continue Reading →
Meet Me in the Mess: Rethinking the Christmas Story December brings a wonderful tapestry of spiritual celebrations across the world. Whether it's the lights of Hanukkah, the reverence of Mawlid al-Nabi, the enlightenment celebrated on Bodhi Day, or the joy of Pancha Ganapati, this month holds deep meaning for many faiths. Among these traditions, Christians... Continue Reading →
One of the things that I have discovered in accompanying children in their faith development is that much of what I end up doing is un-teaching. Children often ask me to address ideas they've grown up hearing about God that contradict the loving and merciful divine presence that Jesus presents, teaches, and embodies. This experience... Continue Reading →
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) is a unique approach religious education that nurtures a profound and joyful connection between children and God. Deeply rooted in the Montessori method, CGS celebrates the spiritual values inherent in childhood, emphasizing contemplation of the deepest mysteries of our faith and the enjoyment of God. Dr. Maria Montessori, the... Continue Reading →
Rachel Held Evans wrote a terrific opinion piece in the Washington Post entitled “Want Millennials back in the pews? Stop trying to make church ‘cool.’ Here are some highlights: “In the U.S, 59% of people ages 18 to 29 with a Christian background have stopped attending church. When asked why, 87% say they see Christians... Continue Reading →
In the Jewish tradition Sabbath is the observance of a weekly day of rest rooted in the biblical account of God's day of rest after the creation of the heavens and the earth. For thousands of years, the Sabbath has been considered a celebratory day when the Jewish people (including Jesus and all the early... Continue Reading →
From time to time we all experience big events in our lives that change things...that change everything. We might call them “Before and After” events. They are the experiences that we refer to like “Before we had children” or “After Mom died." "Before the car" accident or "After graduation." When I was a little kid... Continue Reading →
If I had a nickel for every time someone asked me “I pray just fine at home. Why do I have to come to Church?” Well, I’d have a lot of nickels. In truth, we don’t “have” to come to church. The weird draw of our old-timey language about our “Sunday obligation” coupled with threats... Continue Reading →
I don’t know about you, but I just cringe when in the face of grave human tragedy and suffering I hear someone say “This was God’s will” or “God doesn’t give us more than we can handle.” Really? Because it sure seems that some people get a crushing helping of grief on occasion. So many... Continue Reading →
Theologian Elizabeth Johnson, CSJ, in her book, She Who Is, writes: “The fundamental sin is exploitation, whether it be expressed in the domination of male over female, white over black, rich over poor, strong over weak, armed military over unarmed civilians, human beings over nature. These abusive patterns interlock because they rest on the same... Continue Reading →
Evangelization is a bit of a spooky word for us Catholics. It's not a notion that we embrace quite as comfortably as our Protestant brothers and sisters do. Personally, when I hear the word, the first images that come to mind are that of a sweaty, screaming tele-evangelist that swindles old people out of their... Continue Reading →
Having launched our holiday season with the celebration of our Thanksgiving meal this yesterday, we remember too our sacred act of “breaking bread” that we share at our Eucharistic table each week. The word Eucharist in Ancient Greek means the ACTION of giving thanks to God. So, our Eucharist is not only a noun, but... Continue Reading →
Often I think we have this image of Jesus in our mind as this peaceful, gentle, pious and soft-spoken person. I’m sure at times, probably most times, Jesus was a very tender person, just like each of us. But without a doubt, Jesus was also a bit of a trouble-maker, a rabble rouser, a rebel. In... Continue Reading →
I'm writing this article the day before election day (Monday, Nov. 7th) but it will run in our bulletin on the weekend following. So, I believe I can safely assume some of you (maybe even MY post-election self) are reading this article at this moment and are still “having some feels” as my daughters would... Continue Reading →
Fr. Ron Rolheiser says at the center of our lives there is an natural tension. On the one hand, “something in us wants to be different, wants to stand out; from the minute we’re born, we ache for our independence and uniqueness to be recognized. We don’t want to be the same as everyone else.... Continue Reading →
The parables of Jesus are little “stories with a mystery.” There is no “right” or “wrong” way to understand them - we are simply invited to ponder and tease them out a bit. For me, one of the more baffling parables is that of the Dishonest Steward or Manager found in Luke 16:1-13. https://soundcloud.com/lisa-abad-brown/money?utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing The... Continue Reading →
I don’t know about you, but the first person to come to mind when we begin thinking about baptism, is John The Baptist. The authorities of Jesus’ day were puzzled by John the Baptist, They were confused about who he was and what he was doing. They even asked him “who are you? What do... Continue Reading →
“Tradition is to the community what memory is to the individual" - John O'Donohue Let’s cut to the chase – it’s been a rough few years for us Catholics. Well, maybe we should say a rough 17 or 70 years given the sexual abuse crisis? Or a rough 1000 years since the Crusades? Well, dang,... Continue Reading →
"The strategy of Jesus is not centered in taking the right stand on issues, but rather in standing in the right place—with the outcast and those relegated to the margins.” - Gregory Boyle, S.J. Dissent, definition: "the expression or holding of opinions at variance with those previously, commonly, or officially held." I don't know many... Continue Reading →
I often get asked "Are Catholics required to vote a certain way?" and the answer is "Yes and No." The Catholic Church does not endorse any candidate or party. Period. No matter what you have read or heard, there is NO mandate on which candidate(s) Catholics must vote for. Hard stop. However, we ARE asked... Continue Reading →
"The Christian of the future will be a mystic or nothing at all." - Fr. Karl Rahner, S.J. Many bemoan the drop in participation in all mainline churches over the past several decades, including Catholics. In fact our “fallen-away” number is the biggest of the bunch. Many parents worry whether their children will ever “come... Continue Reading →
I've been to three funerals this week, and then we have Covid. The Anniversary of 9/11. Watching my parents, friends, and other relatives age and wane. Lots of time thinking about death. No one knows when the second coming of Jesus Christ will happen or what it will look like. Though countless predictions and dates... Continue Reading →
A spiritual teacher had lost the key to his house and was looking for it on the lawn outside, running his fingers through each blade of grass. His disciples came along and asked the master what had happened. “I have lost the key to my house,” he said. “Can we help you find it?” they... Continue Reading →
A catechist is the "Keeper of the Memory of God," a witness of the source of our hope, and an educator who accompanies those desiring to know more about our loving God and the most essential mysteries of our faith and tradition. The word "catechesis" is derived from the Greek word meaning "to echo." In... Continue Reading →
Eucharist is our central, defining ritual; the center point of our Catholic Christian Identity. Eucharist comes from the Greek word Εὐχαριστεῖν (Eucharistein), which means “to give thanks” So, Eucharist is not only the consecrated bread and wine that we share at our sacred meal each week, but it is also an action - a verb.... Continue Reading →
A friend of mine recently observed that children rarely feel the emotion of poignancy. This somewhat crooked, perplexing emotion is most often reserved for those of us a little further down the road. We who know all too well that clarity can sometimes be painful. That even if we know the direction in which we... Continue Reading →
In our Christian scriptures (aka The New Testament), the Greek word "kerygma" (pronounced kuh·rig·muh) means the public dissemination of a truth received from God. It is a proclamation – a message – a sharing and revelation of God among us. The epoch of our Christian kerygma, the high point of this message and revelation of... Continue Reading →
You know the old saying "If I had a nickel for every time...such and such happened"? Well, if I had a nickel every time someone asked me in whispered tones "I have doubts about the resurrection - both Jesus' and ours - can I still call myself a Christian?" I'd have a lot of nickels!... Continue Reading →
Faith Formation PreK-7th grade here at Christ the Redeemer is rooted in the contemplative, Montessori-based style of spiritual development called The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS). CLICK HERE to view some photos of our atria spaces. Below is a short 3-minute video that gives an overview of our program too: https://youtu.be/0Uw0Gu3iIao CGS uses Montessori... Continue Reading →
I, like virtually every Catholic female I know, have some pretty strong feelings about being a woman in the church. For me, some are good. Very good. I am grateful to have worked for visionary and forward-thinking priests in all my 27 years of formal employment in the church; men who value, listen, and actively... Continue Reading →
We believe that human beings are a fundamentally good creation and sin is anything that keeps us from communion with God, others and our true selves; anything that distances us from God's mercy or causes alienation. Our understanding of Sin, Grace, Redemption, is called Soteriology and is a rich field of study that is never... Continue Reading →
As Christians, we remain "one" though we differ profoundly in a multitude of ways, such as; how we interpret church teaching, understand the role of conscience, discern God’s presence and acting in our unique life experiences. We share a core of unchanging, revealed truths (Dogmas) but we grow in our understanding of truth, and so... Continue Reading →
There are countless reasons why it is important for us to understand and appreciate the great wisdom and beauty of Jewish history and tradition. For one, Jesus was Jewish as were all his first disciples; all were steeped in the Old Testament texts and the ancient customs therein, so it’s darn near impossible to understand... Continue Reading →
Has a more beautiful dream ever been put into words then when Isaiah writes “Can a mother forget her infant? Be without tenderness for the child of her womb? Even should she forget…God will never forget you.” God will never forget YOU. If we were to boil down and distill all that Jesus taught and lived... Continue Reading →
In Jesus, in his dying and his rising, God is telling us that death is not the end…death does not have the final word… The Gospels assure us that, like Jesus’ birth, the resurrection was physical. Jesus’ tomb was empty, people could touch him, he ate food, he was not a ghost. The full nature... Continue Reading →
As parents, we are aware of our child’s growth in many ways. We measure their growth physically by the little lines that mark their height in our doorways or by the way they rapidly grow out of their clothes. We measure their academic progress by listening to them read aloud and discussing their report cards.... Continue Reading →
https://youtu.be/9YJZMYu0NQE More years ago then I care to mention, I remember picking up my youngest daughter from preschool on a beautiful fall day and I arrived a few minutes early, during their end-of-the-day outdoor recess, so I decided to just sit in the sun and watch her and her friends play for a bit. In... Continue Reading →
Haven’t been to Mass in a while? Have you been hurt by the church? You are not alone. As Gandhi once said, “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians.” I can’t tell you how often I have heard variations on this statement over my 30-year career working for the Church. So, on... Continue Reading →
A metaphor is a powerful image - a powerful figure of speech. It is more than just saying one thing is another thing. Sallie McFague, in her book Models of God, has this to say about a metaphor, "What a metaphor expresses cannot be said directly apart from it. It is an attempt to say something... Continue Reading →
So. How are all those “New Year’s Resolution” style Lenten disciplines going? Have we failed to follow the diet, stick with the exercise regimen, and begun yelling at the kids again? If you, like me, are mourning how hard and fast your perseverance fizzled and are eating a great big piece of humble pie this... Continue Reading →
https://soundcloud.com/adeeperlook/how-are-we-saved-by-the-cross?utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing AUDIO PODCAST if you prefer to listen Theologian Fr. James Alison describes our common misunderstanding of Jesus’ death like this: "We sinned and offended God, so God was angry with humanity and demanded justice or some kind of payment for our blunder. But humanity couldn’t offer any kind of divine gift big enough to diffuse... Continue Reading →
In the Gospel of Mark 9:30-37 Jesus speaks to his disciples and predicts his death - and the disciples are baffled and become afraid. Jesus can’t die! Why is Jesus spouting all this crazy talk? Then right after this, it says that the disciples started to argue about who was the greatest among them. Now, I... Continue Reading →
The traditional definition of a Sacrament is "an external sign of God's internal presence and acting" or "an outward and visible sign of an inward and invisible grace." 1 We hold a strong conviction that God wishes to communicate with us, every minute of every day. That is why many theologians speak of grace as "God's... Continue Reading →
“Our lives are about trying to imitate the God we believe in. But, we are so used to the ‘One-False-Move’ God we're not accustomed to the ‘No-Matter-What-ness’ of God: the God who is too busy loving us to be disappointed with us! This is the hardest thing to believe, yet everybody knows it is the... Continue Reading →
We believers hold a very strong conviction that God wishes to communicate with us. God wishes us to hear how much we are loved, what a good and treasured creation we are, AND to direct us to what will bring us “life to the full.” How does God speak these beautiful truths to us and... Continue Reading →
One of our traditions most treasured mystics once said, "It is a lie - any talk of God that does not comfort you.” The way we conceive of our God; as hostile or loving, “on our team” or “the giant task master in the sky”, judge or defender, etc. effects our whole life. In a... Continue Reading →
"Fundamentalism is a willful ignoring of metaphor" - Paul Tillich One of my friends made a commitment in the New Year to spend more time with our sacred scriptures. As she was sharing this new resolution with her sister who attends a non-denominational Christian church, she was taken aback when her sister declared "Well,... Continue Reading →
A father suggested instead of giving up candy, as his children did every year, they should focus on giving up a bad habit or a sin; anything that hurt their relationships with others. His youngest son decided to give up fighting with his sister. When his Dad asked how he was doing on his Lenten... Continue Reading →
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