Around the Fire

Eucharist-O is a playful term for a reflective practice aimed at helping us gaze at Jesus amid all the sights and sounds of daily life that pull our gaze elsewhere. While the name is light and fun, the practice is of utmost importance for our spiritual health. Throughout my own journey with Eucharist-O, I have gained a fresh perspective on how the simple act of giving thanks can take on profound s...

The Trailhead podcast today is an invitation to give thanks for the character of God, revealed by God Himself in God’s own words. You can find more about the character of God by heading over to Compass: A Spiritual Formation Newsletter , my Substack newsletter and selecting the post for Wednesday, Nov. 20, titled: Eucharist-O: Giving Thanks for the Character of God. The contemplative practice that...

The Trailhead podcast today is an invitation to give thanks for the mercy of God best exhibited in the cross of Jesus. Head over to my Substack page, Compass, to read more about the role the mercy of God plays in the renovation of our hearts: The Eucharist-O for Tuesday, November 19, 2024 First: A Centering Word * What to do: read Pope Francis’ words three or four times. Pause and breath between e...

The Trailhead podcast today is an invitation to give thanks for the mercy of God best exhibited in the cross of Jesus. You’ll find more about how the cross of Jesus and spiritual formation are both part of the deep salvation work God is doing at this Compass post: Eucharist-O for Nov. 18, 2024. The contemplative practice that I playfully call Eucharist-O for Monday, November 18, 2024, has a simple...

I’m offering you a practice that can become a habit, a way of life, a lifestyle, as your connection with Jesus grows deeper. I call the habit Eucharist-O. The name is a playful adaptation of the Greek word eucharisteo , used by the gospel writer Luke to describe what Jesus did during the last supper with his companions. Before he made the ultimate sacrifice for our spiritual freedom, he took bread...

I’m offering you a practice that can become a habit, a way of life, a lifestyle, as your connection with Jesus grows deeper. For myself, I call the habit Eucharist-O. The name is a playful adaptation of the Greek word eucharisteo , used by the gospel writer Luke to describe what Jesus did during the last supper with his companions. Before he made the ultimate sacrifice for our spiritual freedom, h...

Imagine Being… …part of a people group who had been enslaved to an oppressive regime for 400 years. Their entire memory bank was filled with images of exhaustion. Generation after generation had known nothing but long hours of toil, sixteen, eighteen, twenty hours of work a day. The next day, those who had the strength to rise from their floor of their hovel repeated the labor. Day after day. Deca...

A Worship Night Became an Emotional and Spiritual Treasury Last night I joined a few others for a worship night in the spiritual family I guide. I could wish more came, but that would be a different post. Besides, the right group came. I left richer for the time I spent worshiping with them. Our evening of worship was focused on Psalm 100. We engaged with it through reading, singing, studying, and...

For information about how giving thanks make life simpler, check out this article posted on Compass: A Spiritual Formation Newsletter. Thank you for reading! I sense your hunger for a deeper life with Jesus and appreciate all who support, subscribe, and share this independent endeavor with friends and family. If you haven’t already — please consider subscribing and gifting a subscription to someon...

Often, when speaking of spiritual disciplines, we immediately think of prayer, scripture reading, silence, solitude, and fasting. They are all important disciplines. The deep renovating work of the Holy Spirit within us will be stalled if we don’t use these practices. But I am more and more convinced there is another discipine that stands above them all: giving thanks. (You can read more about thi...

The Background of the Word and Practice * BACKGROUND: The action of giving thanks—the practice of the idea of thankfulness—comes from the Greek word that Jesus used at his Passover Meal with his disciples the evening of his arrest by political and religious leaders who would, within a few hours, kill him by crucifixion. The word that Luke used to tell us about that moment, when transliterated into...

A Brief Explanation The action of giving thanks—the practice of the idea of thankfulness—comes from the Greek word that Jesus used at his Passover Meal with his disciples the evening of his arrest by political and religious leaders who would, within a few hours, kill him by crucifixion. The word that Luke used to tell us about that moment, when transliterated into English, is “eucharisteo.” This i...

A Brief Explanation The action of giving thanks—the practice of the idea of thankfulness—comes from the Greek word that Jesus used at his Passover Meal with his disciples the evening of his arrest by political and religious leaders who would, within a few hours, kill him by crucifixion. The word that Luke used to tell us about that moment, when transliterated into English, is “eucharisteo.” This i...

My guest is Mark Brewster, pastor of Orchards Community Church in the Lewistion, ID/Clarkston, WA communities. He was pastor for 30 years in that church before resigning to begin a ministry to pastors through Oasis Rest International. Click HERE for more info about Oasis Rest and whether a week’s respite might be just what your soul, ministry, and marriage needs right now. This is a public episode...

My guest is Mark Brewster, pastor for 30 years of Orchards Community Church in the Lewiston, ID/Clarkston, WA valley. This conversation is about contemporary church/ministry models and how we can find models that are healthier and more transformative. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit genemaynard.substack.com/subsc...

The nation of Bangladesh: Paul’s Prayer Request Amid Persecution: 18 “ And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. 19  Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel.” (Ephesians 6:18-19) Hebrews Admirat...

A Conversation about the challenges pastors face in experiencing God’s love while doing ministry: confusing identity with calling, confusing adrenaline rushes from success with loving God, and getting lost in the pursuit of metric success. A highlight of the conversation is Mark’s description of how Jesus is fully loved by God before Jesus can do anything to earn God’s love. He will later go on an...

An interview of Mark Brewster, pastor and mentor to pastors. Mark shares his personal story of discovering soul-hunger for God amid the busyness and successes of being a pastor. In this interview, Mark mentions a book that caught his attention: Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership by Ruth Haley Barton and started his journey to a deeper life with Jesus. He also mentioned that he spent some ti...

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit genemaynard.substack.com/subscribe

A few weeks ago, a good friend told me about the digital fast she and her husband were doing. They were loving it. She highly recommended it. I asked for more information and she sent me links to some resources, including the book by Dr. Darren Whitehead. I’ve been doing three things since then: * studying the resources she sent me and more that my curiosity discovered * paying attention to the wa...

Old Centering Words Would you be willing to join me in reading this simple but profound sentence from Colossians 1:13 today? It is one of the best descriptions of God's rescue mission, which reached its climactic moment in Jesus' life, death, and resurrection. He has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son. (CJB) We are told a few sentences about...

Would you be willing to join me in reading this one simple — but profound — sentence today from Colossians 3:2? They draw our gaze upward, to the only One who can speak to the deepest conditions of our personal life and the deepest yearnings of our surrounding culture. Focus your minds on the things above, not on things here on earth. (CJB) Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with th...

Would you be willing to join me in reg this one simple — but profound — sentence today from Colossians 1:15? They are about Jesus Christ: Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. (CJB) And would you be willing to bow in prayer with me for just a moment in order to pray from the heart to Jesus? Jesus, you are showing us God’s heart. Because of your dying for us, we now know that God loves...

The purpose of The Trailhead podcast is to take you deep into spiritual formation country, helping you find the way to spiritual growth and a deeper life with Jesus. Subscriptions, both free and paid, keep you in the loop and keep the conversation growing. Get Trekking: A Guidebook to Spiritual Transformation,” the Online Book Club “Book of the Day” for June 5, 2024. Storytelling will bring the th...

The purpose of The Trailhead podcast is to take you deep into spiritual formation country, helping you find the way to spiritual growth and a deeper life with Jesus. Subscriptions, both free and paid, keep you in the loop and keep the conversation growing. Get Trekking: A Guidebook to Spiritual Transformation,” the Online Book Club “Book of the Day” for June 5, 2024. Storytelling will bring the th...