On this Wednesday of Holy Week, I wonder how lonely Jesus felt? No one really gets what he's doing. But then Mary breaks the jar of costly perfume. She gets it somehow, and is promptly attacked by the others for her "foolishness". Today, we'll look at Mary's beautiful act, Taylor Leonhardt will sing a Mission House song, my friend Grace Craddock will read George Herbert, and Brian Brown will close us in prayer. Join us every day this week on "One Thousand Words".

The post S6:E16 – Holy Week: Wednesday, Mary Does a Beautiful Thing appeared first on Matthew Clark.

On this Tuesday of Holy Week, I'm trying something different. I'm sharing a fictional imagining of Jesus as he camps outside Jerusalem, remembering the promises made to Abraham so long ago and how they are about to be fulfilled, finally in himself. I'll also share a song, Malcolm Guite will read a sonnet, and Brian Brown will close us in prayer. Join us every day this week as we walk our story together with Jesus.

The post S6:E15 – Holy Week: Tuesday, Remembering Abraham appeared first on Matthew Clark.

This Monday of Holy Week, we continue walking with Jesus to the cross. So far he's wept over Jerusalem, entered to short-lived praise, and now he makes his way to the City's broken heart, the Temple. I'll share a reflection and a song, Malcolm Guite will recite a sonnet, and Brian Brown of the Anselm Society will close us in prayer. Join us every day this week.

The post S6:E14 – Holy Week: Monday, Cleansing the Temple appeared first on Matthew Clark.

This is Palm Sunday. Our Story begins today with Jesus, having resolutely turned his face toward Jerusalem, entering that City to shouts of praise that he knows will quickly change to shouts of condemnation. But He knows exactly what he is doing; he has come to die. I'll read a passage from Frederick Buechner and sing a song, Malcolm Guite will read one of his sonnets, and Brian Brown will pray from the Book of Common Prayer to close.

Join me and my friends every day this week for this special Holy Week series.

The post S6:E13 – Holy Week: Palm Sunday appeared first on Matthew Clark.

This week, I’m looking at a contrast the folks at Bible Project brought up between God providing Adam with an Ezer (strong delivering ally) in Eve against Cain who, in fear of vulnerability, built a wall (city) around himself. Will I trust God’s way of relationality (which requires vulnerability)? Or wall myself off like Cain?

The post S6:E12 – City Walls, pt 1 appeared first on Matthew Clark.

This week, my phone randomly started playing a section of Boethius’ “The Consolation of Philosophy” (I have a very philosophical phone), and I ran across a little line about the richness of music that sent me down rabbit hole about patterns of reality and what makes for a truly rich life. Also, some fun etymology about patterns, patrons, and pater (father) showed up along the way.

The post S6:E11 – Patterns of Reality: Music and Riches appeared first on Matthew Clark.

This week, I’m looking at the idea that, to some degree, we all have to deal with a little storyteller that lives in our head–a storyteller who doesn’t always read the situation accurately for one reason or another. And I’m looking at a great little book about unreliable narrators: Katherine Paterson’s “Jacob have I loved.”

The post S6:E10 – Unreliable Narrators appeared first on Matthew Clark.

This week, I’m sharing some thoughts that emerged from a conversation I had on a walk with an old friend last week about a phrase from C.S. Lewis’ sci-fi book Perelandra, and how we’re called to pull back the veil on things that claim to give life but are really offering us the “sweet poison of a false infinite.”

The post S6:E9 – The sweet poison of a false infinite appeared first on Matthew Clark.

This week, I’ve been looking at the big ways our lives are affected by small choices. There’s a whole field of research in Network Dynamics, in fact, that shows how deeply interconnected humans are, and how our choices—kind or cruel—make more of an impact on others than we could ever imagine.

The post S6:E8 – Please, don’t mind your own business appeared first on Matthew Clark.

This week, a few conversations reminded me of a family story that my Grandmother used to tell about my sister talking to God when she was a little girl. That made me think of some Chestertonian ideas about childhood and what real maturity might look like, if good childlikeness were treasured as Jesus seems to have treasured it.

The post S6:E7 – Growing up wise and innocent appeared first on Matthew Clark.