By Steven Norris I’ve never really thought of myself as a pilgrim until recently. Well, there was that time in elementary school when I dressed up in black and white for the annual Thanksgiving program. In high school, I visited the Vatican, but it was as a musician,...

By Steven Norris In our culture and language, there are typical patterns of speech that help us navigate the flow of a conversation. When you see someone you know, you typically say, “Hi!” When you part ways from someone, you say, “Bye!”  When you begin a letter, you...

By Steven Norris One of my favorite parts of the worship service at my church is the singing of the Doxology. I have sung it since I was a child. There is something familiar about the rhythm and the spirit of praise that it evokes. The word “doxology” — a word of...

By Steven Norris It is virtually impossible to deny that we live in a world where evil exists. From time to time, events happen where that evil, for a time, gets a particular name and face. When Jesus teaches us to pray, “deliver us from evil,” I believe that he has...

By Steven Norris Who among us has not experienced temptation in some form? When the cashier gives us too much change, we may be tempted to remain silent and walk away a little richer. When the beggar on the street asks for that change, we may be tempted to ignore him....

By Steven Norris Forgiveness. Most of us would probably agree that it is a good thing, but it’s not something that we look forward to offering. It is not what our culture typically teaches about dealing with conflict. We are more accustomed to the “fight or flight”...

By Steven Norris No one likes to admit to being wrong. Of course, we all make mistakes, but taking responsibility for those mistakes is becoming more and more rare. In the Twelve Step tradition, the “ticket for entry” is admission of one’s failure and defeat. “Hi. I’m...

By Steven Norris One little word - two little letters - forever changed my relationship with my children: “No!” They had been such little angels. Where did this little defiant 3 year old come from? No matter how much you grow up, there is still, somewhere deep down...