» pain/suffering

Friends for the Fray: The Lost Art of Confession (part 3)

admin — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 12:54:48 +0000

So, after a few weeks championing the benefits confession affords our souls, we come today, to the practical “how-to’s” of this ancient practice.

We look at making a good confession in three parts,
1) self-awareness,
2) thoroughness, and
3) penance

(Only some beginning remarks on penance; just enough to let you know it is probably not what you think it is. We’ll finish up next week).

Have a listen.
Doug

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A Talk With a Precious 12-Year Old Little Girl

admin — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 16:23:11 +0000

by Doug Hammack

This week I (Doug) had an appointment with one of the 12 year old girls in our community. Her mom brought her by to talk about question she has about God. She’d just been diagnosed with Crohn’s disease and was asking a variation of an ancient trouble spot for Christians: How can God be completely good, and have created a world with such horrendous pain and evil?

Today, instead of a proper lesson, I simply report what we talked about. The thing is, I’m not even sure what I said to this precious little girl is true. I thought to tell you about it in order to start a conversation in our community.

Have a listen and let’s talk.

[Download MP3]

Archive: Another Way to Pray: Straight-Up Honesty (Part 2)

admin — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 11:17:28 +0000

Originally presented 02/10/2008
by Doug Hammack

[Download MP3]

Coming to God in face of painful circumstances is a deep act of faith. Because these are heroic acts of spirituality… (and because we often need baby steps before heroic steps)
To be successful in these new practices, we need to develop the spiritual pattern of coming to God as honestly as we can during those times that are not as demanding. There is something in this simple first movement of prayer that takes us to the center of ourselves. When we become immersed in our own identity we become candidates for the experience of God.