Franciscan Life
Franciscan life is a love story — with God, with the poor, with the earth, with the stranger. Rooted in the spirit of Francis and Clare of Assisi, these posts explore what it means to embrace simplicity, kinship, and courageous countercultural choices in a world that constantly pushes the other direction. From returning land to Indigenous communities to the spirituality of dumpster diving to what the feast of St. Francis has to teach us today, this is a space for anyone drawn to the Franciscan way — whether you’ve taken vows or are just beginning to feel its pull.
Stories help us re-member
As a preschooler, I attended story hour at the local public library. In a colorful basement, I gathered with other children and sat snug on…
What do you do when the world doesn’t end?
Most of us are familiar with the story of Jonah and the whale. God tells Jonah to warn the people of Nineveh to repent, but…
Tough mind, tender heart
“Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves; be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.” (Matthew 10:16) These…
Shane Claiborne: Faith as Fuel for World Change (re-release)
Revisiting Episode 17 from December 3, 2020. Podcast: Play in new window | Download Subscribe: Email | RSS | More IN THIS EPISODE In this episode of Messy Jesus Business, originally released as…
Christmas at the border
Images by Julius Scholsburg, courtesy of Kino Border Initiative I recently moved to the borderlands. It is a graced, gritty place — far away from…
Waiting and changing when you really don’t know what’s coming
The day after Advent began, I sat in a circle of men in a brightly lit, windowless room inside the county jail. We were taking…
Christmas at Greccio: The Incarnation through the Eyes of Saint Francis
by Jon M. Sweeney Let’s set the scene, briefly. This took place toward the end of his life, when Francis of Assisi had already visited Bethlehem…
Kerry Alys Robinson: Generous and Grateful Servant Leadership
Episode 70 of Messy Jesus Business podcast, with Sister Julia Walsh. Podcast: Play in new window | Download Subscribe: Email | RSS | More IN THIS EPISODE In this episode of Messy Jesus…