Grace Notes
a weekly blog by Steven Norris
The Gift of Giving and Receiving
By Steven Norris When I was a kid, I loved playing Barrel of Monkeys. The player who linked the most plastic monkeys arm-in-arm in a long chain won the game. I thought about that game recently as I reflected on an encounter from my Camino pilgrimage. Trevor and I met...
Unwrapping the Gift of Care
By Steven Norris It’s dinnertime. Who is sitting at your table tonight? Who is breaking bread with you over homemade lasagna or pot roast? With whom are you sharing your hopes and dreams, your fears and anxieties? During the five weeks I walked the Camino de Santiago,...
A Blessing for the Journey
By Steven Norris “Buen Camino!” It was probably the phrase I heard most as I traveled the Camino de Santiago (Way of St. James) this past Spring. It was the primary greeting shared between pilgrims upon first meeting, as one passed another on the trail, or when...
An Invitation to Pilgrimage
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,...
An Invitation to Agreement
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...
An Invitation to Praise
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...
An Invitation to Victory
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...
An Invitation to Know Yourself
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....
An Invitation to Grace
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”...
An Invitation to Mercy
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...