Apologies to those who check here once-in-a-while for not having blogged recently. Mine is the same lame excuse as everyone else, "too busy." I actually enjoy posting items, but time seems to be the limiting factor.

Continuing from my last post, the radio interview with Stephen Colbert I heard recently included a little surprise near the end. Again, I'll just give you the relevant part of the conversation, then add a brief comment of my own at the end.

I'm impressed at the efforts of Jim Wallis of Sojourners, an evangelical Christian community in Washington, DC, to transcend Democrat and Republican politics in order to speak to the social and political issues of our day from a broadly Christian perspective. He outlines that perspective in his book God's Politics.

Earlier this month a small flap on the religious news beat caught my eye. The publication of Mother Teresa's journals (against her wishes) revealed a side of her known to only a few close spiritual advisors during her lifetime.

This being the third time I've suggested a 'Prayer to Start the Day,' you may begin wondering if I have a hard time getting going in the morning! Actually, I used to, but mornings have come easier to me over the years, so I'm at the point now that I actually appreciate them, especially if my wife and some coffee are around.

In any case, here's another prayer for early in the day. If I remember correctly, I got it from the blog of a pastor whose seminary professor used to recite it each day in class.

"New every morning is your love, Great God of light, and all day long you are working for good in the world. Stir up in us the desire to serve you, to live peacebly with our neighbors, and to give each day to the service of your Son, our Savior."

I find some real gems in the The Christian Century magazine. I can't tell you how many times I've thought, "That's something I'd like to share with the congregation," but then can't find a way to work it into a sermon or newsletter.

A recent example....

Another short prayer I like for starting the day is from a pastor named Fred Craddock, who's a wonderful storyteller and preacher, and who has written a few books along the way. My notation says "The prayer Fred Craddock prays privately every morning." Here it is....

Here's a prayer that showed up in 'Friends of Silence,' a wonderful little meditative monthly self-published newsletter out of Hannibal, MO. that's full of brief quotes....

One writer I have appreciated for a couple of decades now is Robert Wicks. He's written a number of books on the integration of psychology and spirituality, all of which include genereous helpings of insights and stories from his own life and his reading. He writes for the general reader, so the books are very accessible. One that I've gone back to a few times is....