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Author Archives: Mother Beth Tjoflat
A doorway called lament
This morning’s Daily Office includes Psalm 88. Despite my resistance to it, I was pulled into this poetry of deep lament and carried forward to the final words: Darkness is my only companion. The conveniences and devices of modern life … Continue reading
Posted in 12-step spirituality, Diocese of Florida, Episcopal church, faith, peace
Tagged 12 Steps, 12-step spirituality, 7th Step, hope, inner darkness, recovery, simple prayer
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Welcome to the edge
All Saints day is one of four Principal Feast days, commonly marked by the administration of baptism. Today (and this coming Sunday) we celebrate all those who are members of the Body of Christ, as we “express the intercommunion of … Continue reading
Posted in Diocese of Florida, Episcopal church, faith, peace
Tagged 12-step spirituality, All Saints Day, holy ground, mercy, recovery, spiritual growth
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The center holds
This morning I found some old papers from graduate school, from when I studied creative writing at the University of Southern California. It was May 1992. One of our teachers assigned our motley crew of fiction writers the following exercise: … Continue reading
Posted in 12-step spirituality, Episcopal church, faith
Tagged 12 Steps, hope, mercy, recovery, simple prayer, spiritual growth
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When dreaming becomes a contact sport
Marty is interim rector at a small parish in my diocese. We visited recently and he showed me around, walking me all over the property and pointing out various improvements to the “physical plant.” He is a dreamer but not … Continue reading
The challenge of a new thing
This morning’s Daily Office includes Ezra 3:1-13, which describes the beginning of rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem, following the return of Israelites from the Babylonian exile. In verses 10-13, the new foundation has been laid, and so the people gather … Continue reading
Resilience is something we do.
At a clergy retreat earlier this week, we focused on the topic of clergy wellness. The approach was holistic. We discussed wellness as it pertains to our physical, spiritual, emotional and social lives. In his closing homily, our Bishop related … Continue reading
Only everything.
Folks in Alcoholics Anonymous often give prospective members the following reassurance: We will only ask you to change this one thing — EVERYTHING. Them thar are fightin’ words. A person would have to be pretty desperate to stick around to … Continue reading
Enlighten the darkness
These words can roll off the tongue with relative ease when we are speaking of the darkness “over there.” Someone needs to take a look at that person, group or institution over there and cast a light on what exactly … Continue reading
Addendum to “grudgual” post
This morning, while reading Alan Paton’s “Instrument of Thy Peace,” I ran across the following prayer, which is a fitting response to yesterday’s post… Thank you, Holy Spirit! “Lord, make me willing to be used by you. May my knowledge … Continue reading
Posted in 12-step spirituality, faith, peace, St. Clare of Assisi, Uncategorized
Tagged St. Francis of Assisi
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Grudgual: slow, incremental spiritual growth, initially resisted.
This morning a friend characterized his spiritual experience as being of the “grudgual” variety. It took a very long time – and some pretty desperate circumstances – for him to get comfortable with the possibility of a loving, all-powerful, creative … Continue reading
Posted in 12-step spirituality, Episcopal church, faith
Tagged 12 Steps, recovery, spiritual growth
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