Category Archives: Uncategorized

Episode 3 The soul is like a diamond refracting the basic “colors” of the spiritual life. In this episode we look at the color “spiritual.” https://anchor.fm/steve-harper1/episodes/Spiritual-euitli

“A New Normal?” Living in the pandemic for a little over a year, we find ourselves asking, “Will there be a new normal?” As I have read articles in which the question is raised, it is an expression of anxiety, … Continue reading →

Four years ago, I ended Oboedire. I had the sense that it had run its course. I honored that sense, even though I reactivated it ten months later as we moved into a time of national turmoil, bringing a more … Continue reading →

This month’s “Day One” post comes after the “In-Sight” post because I wanted the December “In-Sight” to be about Advent. So, I posted it on November 28th. If you have not seen it, it’s the one immediately before this one … Continue reading →

I am posting this a week early to connect with the Advent Season… Whatever else Advent is, it is an annual season in the Christian Year that invites us to make a fresh start. All four readings contain the keynote … Continue reading →

The “Merton’s Prayers” series will now post only on the International Thomas Merton Society Group Page on Facebook. I really want you to find the reflections there, in the midst of a rich feast of other writings with respect to … Continue reading →

More than a year has passed since Merton included a prayer in his journal. But I must emphasize that the intervening months contain ample evidence of his prayerful life, largely shaped by Roman Catholic liturgy and the liturgical calendar. Merton … Continue reading →

“Blessed Saint Thomas, who are blessed because, seeing the risen Christ and handling His wounds you believed in Him: pray to Him that I, seeing His body and the blood of His wounds each day may also believe Him, and … Continue reading →

“Now we faithful glorify  the Holy Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit  and we give this triune Lord  all the taste of the salt  all the love of the heart  all the fervor of the soul for ever and … Continue reading →

October 22, 1939 “Pax Tecum Filumena” (“Peace be with you, Philomena) [1] Between his last recorded prayer and this one (two months) Merton accepted a call to the priesthood and consulted with friends about how best to fulfill the call. … Continue reading →

August 24, 1939 “Christ, have mercy on us. God save you, Mary, full of grace.” [1] Merton entered a second prayer into his journal the same day that he included the first one. It was a response he had to … Continue reading →

​“Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our … Continue reading →

​In my classes on Spiritual Formation, I had the opportunity to refer to a host of saints, canonized and otherwise. I made it a point to say that when studying persons, the best way to get to know them is … Continue reading →

Some of you will immediately recognize the title of this post as one of Richard Rohr’s phrases to describe where he believes God calls us to live.[1]  I have intentionally used his words, because I agree with him, and because … Continue reading →

A lot of politics in general and some of the president’s words and deeds in particular are beyond my expertise, even though sometimes I can’t keep myself from commenting about them. But when Donald Trump wanders into certain territory, he … Continue reading →

Yesterday, Deacons and Elders were ordained by Bishop Ken Carter in the Florida Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church. [1] This annual service is a highlight and a reminder that God calls every Christian to a discipleship ministry, and … Continue reading →

​Living in the present moment is living with “eyes wide open,” seeing into things so that their realities come into view (see Mark 8:18).  This kind of seeing gives us courage. First and foremost, we gain the courage to become … Continue reading →

​When I finished the previous post on the spiritual life as a dance, I saw in my mind’s eye the healed man outside the Temple walking, leaping and praising God (Acts 3:8).  I watched St. Francis dance down the road … Continue reading →

Dr. Hawkins got the attention of Wheaton and beyond when she posted on her Facebook page that “we all worship the same God.”  Ironically, she was referencing a similar statement made earlier by Pope Francis, and she was only repeating … Continue reading →

Statements of faith are common in Christian educational institutions.  How they are used speaks more loudly than what they say.  Much of what is happening in the Wheaton-Hawkins situation bears this out. I attended and served an institution that has … Continue reading →

In my Facebook post earlier today, I wrote that the Wheaton College conflict with Dr. Larycia Hawkins is “a situation to follow.”  There are multiple reasons why this is so, and a number of them are particularly significant.  The best … Continue reading →

A meditation from Martin Copenhaver, pastor of Wellesly UCC, in Wellesley, Ma…. “In our already overcrowded lives, another space is being taken away. When I was learning to type, I was taught that you should have two spaces after a … Continue reading →

I am in a “less is more” phase with respect to the Oboedire blog and my Facebook pages. So…for the rest of the Summer, I will not write the weekly “Ancient Wisdom” lectionary meditations. Pre-scheduled  Oboedire writings will continue each … Continue reading →

Read:  Numbers 11-24-30 Meditation:  “Distributing the Spirit” Today is Pentecost Sunday, the day we often call “the birthday of the church.”  Our minds go immediately to Acts 2, as we recall the Spirit’s being poured out on everyone in the … Continue reading →

Read:  Acts 1:6-14 Meditation:  “Ready for Whatever” The question of the disciples was exactly what we’d expect them to ask.  Their Jewish understanding of the Messiah as one who would restore the Davidic Kingdom had revived in them following Jesus’ … Continue reading →

Read:  Acts 17:22-31 Meditation: A Manual for Our Witness” The account of Paul’s visit to Athens provides an outline for the way we should engage non-Christian people, no matter where they are. First, Paul took the time to get to … Continue reading →

Read:  Acts 7:55-60 Meditation: “Covering Our Ears” Stephen was stoned because the angry crowd covered their ears (v 57).  It was all over after that.  It still is. When we stop listening, we stop relating.  When we stop listening, we … Continue reading →

Read:  Acts 2:42-47 Meditation:  “Off To A Good Start” On the basis of repentance and baptism, the first Christians set about establishing the foundation for their life together.  Over time, they added other features.  But we are fortunate to see … Continue reading →

Read: Acts 2:14, 36-41 Meditation:  “Where It Begins” There may have been a million people in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost.  As the story reveals (2:7-11), people from all over the world were there.  And when Peter finished his … Continue reading →

Read:  Acts 2:14, 22-32 Meditation: “Taking It To The Street” Theologians call it the Kerygma.  Essentially, it is the core message the early Christians developed to “proclaim Christ.”  Today’s lesson can be viewed from the vantage point of content/doctrine.  But … Continue reading →

(Note:  The revised Common Lectionary substitutes readings from The Book of Acts for lessons from the Old Testament during Eastertide.  Consequently, the meditations during this season will be based on the Acts passages) Read:  Acts 10:34-43 Meditation:  “But God Raised … Continue reading →

Read:  Exodus 24:13-18 Meditation: “Preparation Before Revelation” God met Moses on the mountain with a “firey revelation” (v 17) that resulted in the giving of the Ten Commandments.  But the lesson tells us that this happened on the seventh day … Continue reading →

Read:  Leviticus 19:1-2, 9-18 Meditation: “Be it…Do it” The arrangement if this week’s Old Testament lesson makes it clear that holiness is not only a profession, it is a performance. Every illustration of holiness is an incarnation of it. Today, … Continue reading →

Read: Deuteuronomy 30:15-20 Meditation: “It’s Up to You” The lectionary readings the past few weeks have directly or indirectly borne witness to God’s faithfulness–as all biblical passages do in one way or another. Again today, we are reminded that God … Continue reading →

Read:  Isaiah 58:1-12 Meditation:  “Act Like It!” In a scathing denouncement of superficial religiosity, which demeans the name of religion itself, God tells Israel to drop all the pious talk and public shows and enact their faith. The same message … Continue reading →

If your church gives a gift to graduates, or to those deploying for military service, perhaps you’d like to consider giving them my book, ‘A Pocket Guide to Prayer.’  It is something they can use to remember your love and … Continue reading →

Every so often folks,ask how to pronounce “Oboedire.” Oboe (like the musical instrument)–deer—ay.

Read:  Micah 6:1-8 Meditation:  “When God Speaks” We don’t realize how foolish and arrogant we sound until God decides to speak.  We parade our “theological opinions” while never fully living up to them–and then God breaks in to put things … Continue reading →

Read:  Isaiah 9: 1-4 Meditation:  The Promise Fulfilled What we anticipate in Advent comes to pass in Epiphany.  Revelation becomes reality.  Isaiah’s words, read as prophecy in Advent, are now fulfilled. A lot of our life works the same way.  … Continue reading →

Read:  Isaiah 49:1-7 Meditation:  Faithful and Tired Isaiah knew that he had been called by God, even from his mother’s womb.  It was a call to serve God in restoring the nation, and he had labored obediently in relation to … Continue reading →

Read:  Isaiah 42:1-9 Meditation:  “On a Mission” Isaiah prophesied that the servant of the Lord would literally be a man on a mission. and so Jesus was.  Using words similar to our reading today, he used the 61st chapter of … Continue reading →

Read: Jeremiah 31:7-14 Meditation: “What A Day That Will Be!” The end of Christmastide replays the vision we saw on the first Sunday in Advent about six weeks ago: the vision of God’s great ingathering at the end of the … Continue reading →

As I told you in the December “First Day” post, I have been discerning the place of Oboedire in relation to my status as a retired person. This comes from my belief that we are called to live in our … Continue reading →

Welcome to 2014!!! As you know, I believe we are living in a new pentecost–in a time when the fresh Wind of the Spirit is blowing.  Here is a great quote from St. Ephraem to connect us with this movement … Continue reading →

Read Isaiah 63:7-9 Meditation: “Think About It” When I was a child, one of my favorite hymbs was “Count Your Blessings.”  It still is, and it is ajin to the spirit of our passage from Isaiah.  Look at these similarities… … Continue reading →

Read: Isaiah 7:10-16 Meditation:  Immanuel One of my favorite musicians is Michael Card.  He is truly a musical theologian, and his song, “Immanuel,” is a mountain peak in the range of ancient and modern music concerning Christ.  I hope you … Continue reading →

Read:  Isaiah 35:1-10 Meditation: “Come Home” One of my favorite hymns is “Softly and Tenderly.”  One phrase in it says, “Ye who are weary, come home.” Isaiah could have said the same thing it the exiles.  They had grown weary … Continue reading →

Read:  Isaiah 11:1-10 Meditation:  “Root and Branch” In looking forward to the coming of Christ, Isaiah identified the two main ingredients in any religion.  It must have a root, and it must have a branch. The root is the Source.  … Continue reading →

(Note: With this post, we begin a three-year journey through the Old Testament readings in the Revised Common.Lectionary.  The previous three-year  cycle of Gospel lessons is archived and is available by tapping the “Holy Gospel” category on the Oboedire blogsite … Continue reading →

This Sunday, we begin a new year on the Christian calendar as we celebrate the first Sunday in Advent.  Looking at this as a “beginning” has caused me to think about the future of Oboedire. When I began this blog, … Continue reading →