Moving Through Reformation History

Today, after a morning of the Masters students involved in Ignatian prayer and reflection, we moved into a cursory look at pre-Reformation and Reformation history.

For our Institute Masters students, this initial glance, along with extensive readings, will move us to consider the creative leader within the Church in this time frame, and to consider how they applied their creativity to their age, and to the deepening of shared faith. We’ll move all the way through the Reformation into the negro slave songs, into the contemporary worship movements (and cultural music movements) of today.

It is a humbling exercise to see ourselves, our own hearts, fleshed out in previous recorded history. May we never be frustrated by the fragile historical process of human beings stretching themselves to find faith in the midst of their unique cultural context.

It’s not easy being human; it’s not easy following Jesus.

But still, it seems clear to me, there is no escape from being human, and no other way I would choose.

AVAILABLE NOW

Sheltering Mercy and Endless Grace help us rediscover the rich treasures of the Psalms—through free-verse prayer renderings of their poems and hymns—as a guide to personal devotion and meditation. Sheltering Mercy helps the reader pray Psalms 1-75; Endless Grace leads in prayer through Psalms 76-150.

The church has always used the Psalms as part of its prayer life, and they have inspired countless other prayers. Each book contains 75 prayers drawn from the Book of Psalms, providing lyrical sketches of what authors Ryan Smith and Dan Wilt have seen, heard, and felt while sojourning there. Each prayer is a response to the Psalms written in harmony with Scripture. These prayers help us quiet our hearts before God and welcome us into a safe place amid the storms of life.

These artful, poetic, and classic devotional books are a perfect gift, and feature compelling stunning illustrations and hardcover binding, offering a fresh way to reflect on and pray the Psalms. Co-written with Ryan Whitaker Smith, Brazos Publishing.

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