Jesus said that without the ‘power of the Spirit’, we should not even try to start working for change, lest we end up destroying the world that we are trying to create. (Luke 24:49) However, with that strong but gentle power, Jesus said, nothing on earth can stop us from embodying the kingdom of heaven […]

The final phrase in the prayer Jesus taught his disciples is not an upbeat paean of praise crying aloud – ‘for yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory.’ It is not in the original text at all. The final phrase is actually a humble down-beat petition for help – ‘lead us not into […]

A classic example of the impact of the transformative movement Francis and Clare started (see previous post), is the life of Elisabeth von Thuringia, known as the ‘Elisabeth of Many Castles’. Elisabeth was born in 1207, probably at Pressburg, in Thuringia. She was the daughter of King Andrew II and Queen Gertrude of Hungary. King Andrew […]

In my view the only hope for a world entering A New Dark Age is the emergence of new movements of Brother Suns and Sister Moons. The story of ‘Brother Sun and Sister Moon’, began originally in the twelfth century Dark Age in Italy. Francis was born to a French mother and Italian father in […]

Jesus’ prayer suggest that anyone who is passionate about doing God’s will on earth as it is in heaven will be passionate about feeding the hungry – and forgiving debts  – and thereby freeing all the debt-slaves from their bondage. Jesus doesn’t teach his disciples to pray: ‘give me this day my daily bread.’ Jesus […]

The core request Jesus makes to God in his prayer is ‘hallowed be your name.’ The word, ‘hallow’, means ‘to make holy’. The request for God’s name to ‘be hallowed’ or ‘to be made holy’, implies that right now God’s name is ‘not holy’, and we – as the people of God – are invited […]

When Jesus shared with his disciples the passion he had to be change he wanted to see in the world, he said to them, ‘this is how you ought to pray’: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us […]

When the Spirit came at Pentecost, people began to practice the Be-Attitudes to such an extent they were able to create an exceptionally inclusive, completely egalitarian, post-Pentecost community. They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders […]

In order to create a hospitable space in their hearts for the Spirit, the disciples spent time together ”constantly in prayer” (Acts 1.14). For the disciples, prayer was a process of developing an awareness of, and availability to, the Spirit. It involved waiting upon the Spirit and a willingness to yield to the Spirit. It […]

My friend, Asif, is right when he says we that need to nurture a ‘spirited faith’ rather than ‘doctrinaire beliefs’ if we are ever going to recover the radical compassion of Jesus and practice Jesus’ Be-Attitudes like the Good Samaritan. Jesus said there is always a mystery about the way the Spirit breathes vitality into […]

If we want to be the change we want to see in the world, we know that Jesus says, we need to practice the Be-Attitudes. We need to be: poor – and/or identify with the poor in spirit empathic – and grieve over the injustice in the world meek –  and get angry about injustice, […]

In order to be to the change we want to see in the world, embodying ‘heaven on earth’, Jesus tells us we need live the attitudes he advocated in the beatitudes. If we read the text carefully we see that both the first and the last beatitude are about experiencing the ‘kingdom of heaven’ or […]