Looking for today's Disciplines Devotion? Click here to read it.

About Disciplines

The Upper Room Disciplines provides an opportunity to look more deeply at scripture by offering a week of devotions by a single author on a particular theme.

Read More

Latest Disciplines Devotions

Journeying by Stages - March 11, 2020

March 11, 2020

My husband teases me that he is writing a song called, “That’s Not a Question.” I have a terrible habit of asking for what I want instead of stating it directly....

Read More

Journeying by Stages - March 10, 2020

March 10, 2020

Once we commit ourselves to a journey toward liberation as the Israelites did, leaving the wilderness of grief or shame or bondage of any kind, we begin our journey by stages....

Read More

Journeying by Stages - March 9, 2020

March 9, 2020

The week I sat down to write these meditations, a friend told me about Lauren Daigle’s album Look Up Child. I was struck by her soulful voice, profound lyrics, and storytelling...

Read More

A Blessing in God’s World - March 8, 2020

March 8, 2020

I find Nicodemus a fascinating character. John describes him as “a leader of the Jews.” Judging by the three incidents in which he appears, he is a person of considerable influence....

Read More

A Blessing in God’s World - March 7, 2020

March 7, 2020

One summer Sunday morning, the nine-person choir moved to the center of the chancel in our Maine island Methodist chapel, and the piano sounded the opening chords of John Stainer’s “God...

Read More

A Blessing in God’s World - March 6, 2020

March 6, 2020

Almost thirty years ago I stood in Martin Luther’s study room, high in the Wartburg Castle, in the German state of Thuringia. On the wall was the famous ink stain, said...

Read More

A Blessing in God’s World - March 5, 2020

March 5, 2020

One of the highest privileges of my life’s vocation as a minister is that of being present with people at the key moments of their lives. “Hatch, Match, and Dispatch”—an in-joke...

Read More

A Blessing in God’s World - March 4, 2020

March 4, 2020

Now that we are retired, my wife, Mhairi, and I spend the summer months in our log cabin retreat on an island off the Maine coast. The cabin perches high above...

Read More

A Blessing in God’s World - March 3, 2020

March 3, 2020

Immigrants seem to be at the center of attention these days, not only in my country but across the globe. When I read God’s words to Abram, “Go from your country...

Read More

A Blessing in God’s World - March 2, 2020

March 2, 2020

“The Turning Point.” That’s what these verses might be called. Or “The Crossroads.” Until this point, things have gone steadily downhill. Our story, this scriptural history of humankind—the forbidden fruit in...

Read More