Reflexion, A Spiritual Community

Liquid Meditations

John Chapman Shares

Sharing on oppressed lives of Latin Americans

Learning to Listen Part 4

Psalm 25 This psalm does not track a central theme What I mean, is that we cannot say, “This is a psalm of praise,” - or “Psalm of confession,” or “thanksgiving psalm,” or “supplication psalm” • this doesn’t mean the structure of the poem is random, ◦ only that it doesn’t tell a story or develop a specific point • nevertheless, there is a pattern to the psalm, ◦ but we don’t find it arranged in an…

Learning to Listen - Part 3

The last two weeks I’ve been encouraging you to listen for God’s voice Now, today, using this spectacular episode of Isaiah’s life is neither practical nor fair – he was chosen by God to be a prophet, • and the prophet’s calling is in most instances very dramatic ◦ e.g., Moses and the mysterious flames; Ezekiel’s fantastic vision, impossible to imagine • so if there’s a legitimate reason for us to…

Learning to Listen - Part 2

About six years before my dad died, For some reason, that I don’t remember, - I got the idea that it was really important for him to tell his life’s story • there were already a lot of fictional stories regarding his life, ◦ and how he came to be the founder of a new church movement • I suppose, that as his son, it was important to me, ◦ that people learned how God worked in his life to make him…

Learning to Listen - Part 1

What are we witnessing in this archetypal story? First, why do I refer to the story as “archetypal”? – archetypes have to do with basic themes planted in the human mind • familiar themes are revealed in the heroes, heroines, and villains of fables, myths, and fairytales ◦ these characters represent specific qualities that define human persons and their behavior ◦ including: virtuous, courageous,…

The Things Our World Needs

Competing Stories

Romans 14 • A deep story describes a collective, emotionally rooted narrative that individuals and groups use to make sense of their lives and the world, prioritizing feelings and metaphors over cold facts or moral judgments. • The concept was developed by Arlie Russell Hochschild, a sociologist and we will talk about her more in a bit. • Today we will be considering how competing "deep stories"…

What Is Lexio Divina?

Some time ago, I took a course in speed-reading We were required to practice every day for at least an hour - the only drawback–I chose to read books that didn’t interest me, so I wouldn't get distracted by their content • but going fast, I got nothing at all from them – I wasn’t reading, but just looking at words - later on I was exposed to a method of slow-reading • the purpose: to get as much…

Jude 24-25 06/14/2026

Here we are, after several weeks, at the end of Jude There’s not another letter in the New Testament exactly like it - a small bit of 2 Peter incorporates some of the same lines • but the overall structure and content of Jude are unusual, ◦ and his quotations from two non-biblical books is unique • but coming to the end, he closes with a familiar prayer ◦ it’s not his exact words that are…

Jude 17-23

My friend, Clint Freeman, sent me an article this week It has to do with Artificial Intelligence and I added it to my “weird news” file Darin White, “Four in ten Gen-Z and millennial adults say spiritual advice from AI is just as trustworthy as advice from a pastor. One-third of teenagers have talked to an AI companion rather than a human being about serious, personal issues. Thirty-nine percent…