Some days I wonder what my cat calls himself and it makes me really sad he hasn’t heard his name in so long. He does know what we call him, but I don’t think it’s the same. Like, what did his momma call him and why are my eyes all misty now….

Our liturgy markdown parser just hit version 1.0! Today I wrapped up the few things that had been holding it back. Working on implementing the improvements into the major update to our Urban Monastic web platform. One of these days i'll make a proper site for our Source Texts work. It's pretty cool

One of the greatest honors and privleges of my life is helping to lead, support, & grow Urban Monasticism! I'd say its been a fast six years but... six years ago feels a lifetime away 😂. Here is to many more years! Please read the post so that you can praise God with us and pray for us!

I'm not sure what it means that the very first meeting of Urban Monastics occurred on the same day that the first case of Covid was identified in Wuhan. I do know that it dramatically shifted what we have become in scale and hope that I would not have believed 7 years ago. For that I am grateful.

Imagine giving someone a magical machine that can make whatever images they want to see. Then some of them use this machine to create images of hate and violence instead of beauty. It's so pathetic and telling.

How does a wolf start his gravy? A roux

Join us in praying vespers, on this the first Sunday of #Advent. Our Christ is coming and the way is being made for Him. breviarium.urbanmonastic.org/en/pray/vesp...

It’s #Advent! That means it’s purple scarf season!

It’s now the first week of advent in Paris! The beacon has been lit! Blessings to you and all whom you love. Love is coming and love will reign with peace and justice.

I took the photo for this week nearly 20 years ago in London on December 20, 2025. I did desaturate the neon blue christmas lights to appear more white. Those early lights were aggressive. Miss the charm of the old buses.

One of the most difficult regular parts of my Christian faith is this: God is just as in love with me as God is with everyone else - including those I'm told to hate. God is love, and love drives out hatred. There is no - and cannot be hatred in God. There is none in the Father, Son or Holy Spirit.

👋 Hey there #SBL folks from #AARSBL25. There is a feed for Critical Bible Study here on Bluesky that you might enjoy sharing to & engaging with. It's has a double opt in (say you'd like to join + you tag posts - 📜, 🪔, #CriticalBible, etc -to be added). Hope to see ya! bsky.app/profile/paul...

It's such a blessing to return to these at Advent! May they bless you and encourage your faith.

The maga mind cannot comprehend the future being created in the rest of the world.

Introduce yourself with five concerts: Meute Woodkid Reel Big Fish & Goldfinger Live Everclear

Sure you've heard of fried turkey, but what about friar turkey?

He is risen

Why are purple candles so hard to find in France? So now we have blue advent candles and that’s perfectly fine, but I’m trying to not start making my own pillar candles.

With Advent approaching, there is something Meister Eckhart would like you to know. (taken from 'Meister Eckhart's Book of the Heart')

Christmas is starting to ramp up before the first Sunday of Advent here in Paris. Decorations continue to go up and the trees are showing up at shops!

Is this the persecution of the faithful I was warned about, growing up evangelical? My nationalist co-religionists are denying it now, but these are precisely the scenarios we were breathlessly schooled on, reading stories of saints and martyrs following Jesus at all costs.

Remember to plug in your pets before you go to bed. That way they will be ready to play in the morning!

Co-signed

Well the barber I've been going to for the last 8+ years seems to have just vanished within the last couple weeks. Website and socials are gone. Marked perminantly closed on Google. I'm not looking forward to finding a new person that I like. I already miss not needing to explain the cut I want.

👋 to everyone at #AAR and #SBL in Boston. This feed that aggregates all related hashtags into one easy to follow chronological feed. It ensures you don't miss something because it was tagged #AARSBL25 and you were looking at #SBLAAR25. Pin it to make it easier to get to! bsky.app/profile/paul...

This image has created an opportunity to practice and extend grace in my marriage. Wow. After nearly 19 years of wedded bliss, ya think you’d know a person. 😂

Post a movie where you are from.

Snow is starting to stick to some things! I’m going to bed now though.

It’s snowing tonight in Paris! The ground isn’t cool enough for the snow to stick yet. It’s still really pretty!

Niebuhr Society #AARSBL2025 “Christendom has achieved apparent success by ignoring the precepts of its founder.“ - H. Richard Niebuhr via Valerie Cooper

Lord, Bless our cities as they wake and sleep. Bless our cities as they move and breathe. Bless our cities with and through us. Amen. A blessing for our thirty-fourth week of Ordinary Time.

Let us pray. This is the Urban Monastic Collect for our thirty-fourth week of Ordinary time.

👋 to everyone at #AAR and #SBL in Boston. This feed that aggregates all related hashtags into one easy to follow chronological feed. It ensures you don't miss something because it was tagged #AARSBL25 and you were looking at #SBLAAR25. Pin it to make it easier to get to! bsky.app/profile/paul...

I cleaned the glass shelves in our bathrom. Also known as, we have company coming for dinner tomorrow!

Yeah I can see why the symbol for the regime that murdered 11 mln people might be considered divisive by some.

Let us pray. This is the Urban Monastic Collect for our thirty-third week of Ordinary time

Welcome to the SBL & AAR feed 👋 Don't miss any of the conversations, as this feed aggregates Bluesky posts across all related hashtags. Tagged posts from everyone are included, plus every post from the official AAR & SBL accounts. Unrelated posts are bounced. Enjoy, Share, Pin & Follow along!

St. Paul, MN. ICE abducted someone here yesterday.

Lord, Stir and build within us a love for the unique closeness with You we only find through fasting. Amen. A blessing for our thirty-third week of Ordinary Time.

To help everyone going to/following along with the #AARSBL25 conference this week in Boston you can follow this feed (pin it to make it easier to follow) 👇 It aggregates all the hashtags - #sbl #aar #aarsbl #sblaar etc - into one place. I keep the feed clean too! Follow and share with friends!

In his speech, the pope captured a lot of what I love about cinema. It elevates us by inviting us into the story and lives of the characters. It can open our minds to new ideas and realities. Good cinema shows us ways of hope, and the courage to act in hope. Plus it's fun. It's worth the read.

Ah yes, Matt Walsh. Christianity is most well known for _not_ being about a father whose son died that others might live… You’re allowed to believe & live how you want but Jesus was pretty emphatic that his followers needed to follow his example: loving your neighbors, giving yourself up for them.

One of the reasons these people are trying to womanize 15-year-olds is so they can marry them and train them (raise them) to be the submissive wives they want. Some of these folk voted against ending child marriage for that very reason.

Just to be clear, pedophilia is still wrong. Any sexual abuse of a minor is wrong. Minors cannot consent to sexual behavior with adults. All sexual contact between adults and minors is abuse. I've been reading and hearing wild things in the last couple of days.

Wonderful afternoon reconnecting with divinity school friend, @pastorsings.bsky.social, while she’s in town. Little tour of our restored cathedral and an afternoon coffee + conversation.

“Standing for our neighbors, we shall not be moved”

Is the mark of the beast CEO pay discrepancy?

"This could take down Democrats, too." I know. And I frankly wouldn't give even an itty bitty damn if it implicated every Democratic man in Congress, every Democratic hopeful for 2028 and every Democrat who has even thought about running for office. Down with the sex predators, wherever they are.

The foundation of Christian hospitality is seeing all people as human. That they are loved and cherished by God as they are. Let us confront the impulse to dehumanize others wherever we hear or see it. Justice, peace, and our coexistence depend on it. Written 2 years ago, even more relevant today.

This is the best photo that I can make and it’s not that good. Wish I could see the aurora here.