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Spiritual Disciplines for Ordinary People

Select a Category A Simple Church Way Hard Conversations Lead A Quiet Life as Resistance Reading in the Trenches Sacred in the Everyday Chaos Series: Advent Series: Bible Study Essentials Series: Four Walls of Gratitude Series: Reading Shelf Series: Sojourn Series: This Is The Lord's Table Series: Year in Review Spiritual Disciplines for Ordinary People The Holy Work of Parenting The Pilgrimage of Jeff McLain Theology in the Wild Uncategorized

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August 2026

August 05, 2026

When Psalm 23 Began Reading Me

I've written before about Psalm 23. Last month, I referred to it on a Lead...

July 2026

July 16, 2026

Port of Call: Sometimes We Need More Than a Weekly Sabbath

As I write this, our ship is slowly pulling into the port of Nassau. This...

March 2026

March 30, 2026

Mourning into Dancing: Reflections on Sunrise Gatherings

The Moravians practice something called watch words—a single verse given for the year to guide...

March 17, 2026

Rend Your Heart: Reclaiming the Lost Art of Repentance.

I’ve noticed lately that we don’t hear much talk about repentance anymore—at least, not the...

February 2026

February 27, 2026

Framing Your Personal Calling: Finding A Quiet Life

This leads a quiet life, I feel called to from 1 Thessalonians 4:11–12, is more...

January 2026

January 01, 2026

What Was and What’s Ahead: Good Practices for a New Year

New year's always bring reflections on what was and what's ahead. I want to share...

November 2025

November 11, 2025

When God Seems Silent: Naming Values for the Season

“You will hear a voice behind you saying, ‘This is the way. Follow it, whether...

November 10, 2025

Threads of Stillness: Learning to Let Scripture Read Us

Today, on a spiritual direction day, I’m walking, reading, studying, and praying—listening for direction in...

September 2025

September 15, 2025

5 Books That Shaped My Rule of Life and Quiet Life Pursuit

Later this week, I am headed to the beach to celebrate my wife, Katie McLain,...

June 2025

June 27, 2025

Pray For Those Who Take from You in the Cover of Night

Sometimes we pray things we don't want to mean, and prayers we don't want to...

June 12, 2025

This Is The Lord’s Table: The Promise of Trust

When I was growing up, the Lord’s Table—also called communion, the Eucharist, or the Lord’s...

June 05, 2025

SATCHELS: An Emotions Framework To Make Room for God

God has created us as emotional beings. Therefore, it is normal to experience and express...

May 2025

May 20, 2025

Forming Family Habits That Disciple: Habits of the Household

In the same way that rails dictate where a train goes, our habits become grooves...

March 2025

March 20, 2025

Transforming the Wilderness by Choosing Loud and Bold Praise

Throughout Lent I have been focused on Psalms and Ecclesiastes in my devotions. Lent is a...

January 2025

January 20, 2025

Dwelling and Watchwords: Choosing a Verse to Guide Your Path

Before we look at the disciplines of Dwelling in the Word and Watchwords, let me...

January 16, 2025

Finding Sacred Pause: 5 Apps that Build Spiritual Discipline

Despite the promises of technology and gadgets to simplify our lives, the demands on our...

December 2024

December 01, 2024

The Spiritual Discipline of Gratitude for the Church: 5 Ways

As we reflect on the Thanksgiving season, we find ourselves thankful for many things -...

November 2024

November 26, 2024

Gratitude in Play: 3 Practices From Ecclesiastes 3

Irish playwright and critic George Bernard Shaw once said, "We don’t stop playing because we...

November 21, 2024

Gratitude for Where We Live: 3 Practices from Deuteronomy 8

Mary Davis once said, “The more grateful I am, the more beauty I see.” I...

November 18, 2024

Gratitude in Worship: Three Practices from Psalm 100

Last week, I blogged and examined the role of gratitude in the workplace through the...

November 15, 2024

Gratitude in the Workplace: Three Practices From Daniel 6

In our fast-paced world, it's easy to lose sight of the importance of gratitude, especially...

October 2024

October 29, 2024

The Transformative Practice of A Daily Prayer Rhythm

In our fast-paced lives, it’s easy for prayer to become a routine, losing its profound...

August 2024

August 27, 2024

Walking with Others: Allowing Prayer to Transform Ourselves

Prayer is not just about interceding for others; it’s also a powerful tool for personal...

August 24, 2024

Praying for Others: A Framework for Intercession

Over the past few weeks, I have been reflecting on what it means to effectively...

July 2024

July 07, 2024

Keeping A Daily Office: A Challenge from Solomon ibn Gabirol

Discontentment convinces us that contentment is found by acquiring something, but truthfully contentment is the...

May 2024

May 30, 2024

The Lord’s Prayer: A Help in Leading A Quiet Life

The Lord's Prayer is more or less the manifesto of Christian faith, it is a...

April 2024

April 25, 2024

Rooted in Reality: Embracing Stillness in Digital Connection

In a digital world, I fear that we have forgotten what it means to be...

March 2024

March 17, 2024

Prayer: Navigating the Tempest of Busyness with Nouwen

After rereading Here and Now by Henri J.M. Nouwen, I was reminded how much prayer...