Grace Notes
a weekly blog by Steven Norris
An Invitation to Community
By Steven Norris What is the one thing that God declared as “not good” in the creation story? That Adam was alone. Created in God’s image, humans were created for community and relationship. The Lord’s Prayer begins with an invitation into community. The opening...
An Invitation to Prayer
by Steven Norris Prayer is at the heart of most forms of spiritual practice. We long for connection to some reality that is greater than ourselves — a transcendent power or force that we often refer to as God. Prayer is the vehicle for such connection. If you...
Whose Feet Are You Washing?
by Steven Norris How have you journeyed the road to the cross this Lent? Early on, I opted for a visual devotional to guide me through the 40 days — meditating on images over words. Jessica Claire Bond is a digital artist from New Zealand, and her series of images...
The Sanctuary of Holy Week
By Steven Norris Some places in this world are indescribably different. Set apart. Sacred. Transcendent. While traveling last spring, my wife and I visited just such a place in Covington, KY. The first time I entered the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption, I knew...
What Would Jesus Do?
By Steven Norris I am product of having grown up in evangelical church youth groups of the 1980s and 1990s. Ubiquitous in the youth groups of the day were little canvas bracelets that contained the phrase WWJD? This stood for the question, “What Would Jesus Do?”...
For the Joy Set Before Him
By Steven Norris Like much of the world, I was captivated over the past few weeks watching U.S. Olympic Figure Skater, Alyssa Liu (pronounced “Ally-sa Lee-oh”) compete in Italy, but not for the reasons you might expect. It wasn’t the skill of her impressive...
When Teachers Make a Difference
By Steven Norris I did not expect my Friday morning to begin in tears. I awoke last Friday to learn about the passing of Mr. Jackie Thomas (Mr. T.), my high school jazz band director. Many of the readers of this column are likely aware of some of the work of Jackie...
Roller Coasters and Abundant Life
By Steven Norris I remember the first time that I ever rode a rollercoaster. As a kid, we loved to go to Libertyland, a tiny amusement park in Memphis, TN that was a favorite of Elvis Presley. To my seven-year-old self, the “Zippin Pippin” was a huge wooden roller...
Five Orienting Phrases
By Steven Norris Recently, I came across a video interview of Andrew Greer interviewing the music legend, Amy Grant. In the interview, she shared a little nugget of wisdom that had come from a pastor/mentor who spoke truth into her life at a pivotal moment. I was...
Fasting in the Heart
By Steven Norris Next week begins the season of Lent for the church (Ash Wednesday is February 18). Fasting is one of the key practices of this season. The following is adapted from my book, Emptied Out: A Personal Journey Through Lent. I was ten years old. My...