Here’s an excerpt from my new book Same Old, Same New: The Consolation of the Ordinary. It’s an imagined conversation between a spiritual director, Father Zachary, and his directee, Philip.
Tag Archives: Ordinary Life
SAME OLD, SAME NEW: Brand New Book!
I’m pleased to announce the publication of my brand new book, Same Old, Same New: The Consolation of the Ordinary. Similar in format to my book Champagne for the Soul, this one too has 90 short devotional chapters, each one exploring the theme of finding meaning and joy in the ordinary things of life. Here’s a sample chapter entitled “The Secret of Contentment.”
The Pope, the Rabbi, and the Golden Phone
When the Pope invited the Chief Rabbi to Rome, the latter was impressed by the golden telephone on the pontiff’s desk.
Captivated by Cutlery: The Fascination of the Ordinary
This morning I enjoyed a few moments gazing into my cutlery drawer. I can’t remember ever doing this before. Cutlery is not something one looks at, particularly, it’s just there—useful, shiny, not unattractive, but not noteworthy.
Of Pencils and Shavers: The Complexity of the Ordinary
I hope I live long enough to see the next generation of electric shavers. Indeed I wonder if there has ever been a new generation of this appliance, since the ones today don’t work much better than the one my dad loaned me for my first shave back in the 1960’s.
The Eagle and the Pool of Tears
My friend Chris felt his life hadn’t amounted to much. As a child he’d dreamed of accomplishing some great work and leaving his mark on the world. How that might happen, he wasn’t sure, but he had a sense of destiny.
The Prerequisite for Love: The Ordinary Way (Part 8)
The religion of Christianity is full of extraordinary beliefs: that an invisible God created the entire universe; that this God became a man who lived and died on earth; that this dead man was resurrected to live forever; that we too, through belief in Him, gain eternal life, and can look forward to a heaven with no suffering, only joy and love; and so on.
Prefer the Ordinary: The Ordinary Way (Part 7)
The reason it is so vital for Christians to focus on the ordinary is that the Christian life cannot be understood in extraordinary terms. Who was looking for the Messiah to be born as a baby in a manger? Or who could have expected that He would die the common death of a criminal? If we’re looking for the extraordinary, we’ll miss the hand of God.
Living Life to the Full: The Ordinary Way (Part 6)
We have this expression ‘living life to the full’. But how can we live life to the full when life is, apparently, so full of mundane things and unremarkable events?
The Secret of Contentment: The Ordinary Way (Part 5)
The nice thing about ordinary life is that there’s so much of it. It’s all around us, all the time, so if we can actually learn to like it, we’re home free.