The Upper Room

1. Seasons

   This week’s featured book: Rhythms of Growth by Linda Douty  Today’s Reflection Since we are part of this grand creative cosmology, spring can be a season for our blossoming as well. Like the gardens abounding throughout the earth, the gardens of our souls have organic rhythms—patient fallow times, laborious seed-planting times, and surprising spurts of […]

2. Rhythms

   This week’s featured book: Rhythms of Growth by Linda Douty  Today’s Reflection Even though the rhythms of spiritual growth hum with the rhythms of nature’s pace, we never seem to cease in our efforts to control the process of our own unfolding. Oh, how we try to make those rhythms adapt to culture’s pace—setting goals, […]

3. A Transformed Life

   This week’s featured book: Plant Like Jesus by Ben Ingebretson  Today’s Reflection Jesus had a simple message for those who were spiritually awakened by his ministry. It was a message about the timeliness of his kingdom and personal transformation. Mark 1:15 is short and sweet, but as Jesus lived that message with people, the experience […]

4. Collaborate

   This week’s featured book: Plant Like Jesus by Ben Ingebretson  Today’s Reflection Oftentimes, we are not alone in hearing a local cry for help, and we are wise to collaborate in our reply. One local spiritual pioneer, hearing the pain of divorce in their community, gathered local leaders from the fields of mental health, education, […]

5. A Deep Connection

   This week’s featured book: Plant Like Jesus by Ben Ingebretson  Today’s Reflection Observing, noticing, listening: These practices can keep us from making false assumptions about people and about our mission field. Our ears can keep us from answering questions no one is really asking, so that we can get to the ones they are asking. […]