MSI Press Blog

  The daily call to “sing to the Lord” in Morning Prayer isn’t just poetic—it’s theological and formative. It appears in nearly every version of the Christian morning office (from the Psalms through Benedictine and Anglican traditions) because it expresses what morning worship is meant to do: awaken the soul to praise before anything else happens. Here’s the deeper significance: 1. Creation’s Rhythm Morning is the hour when creation itself “sings”—birds, light, wind. The exhortation aligns human voices with that natural chorus. Psalm 92 begins, “It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to your name, O Most High.” Singing situates us within the rhythm of creation’s praise. 2. Reorientation Before the day’s work and noise, singing re‑centers the heart. In Hebrew thought, song is not entertainment but alignment —it tunes the human spirit to God’s steadfastness. The act of singing is a bodily form of prayer, engaging breath, posture, and emotion. 3. Communal Memory Morn...

  Judaism doesn’t just tolerate interfaith engagement—it offers a deep well of wisdom that makes it uniquely compatible with it. The Jewish tradition has always balanced identity and dialogue, particularity and universality. That tension, far from being a barrier, is what gives Judaism its strength in interfaith spaces. 1. A theology of relationship At its core, Judaism is relational. The covenant between God and Israel is not a private contract—it’s a model for how humans relate to one another and to the world. The Hebrew Bible’s insistence on justice, compassion, and hospitality toward the stranger creates a moral foundation that resonates across faiths. When Jews enter interfaith dialogue, they’re not stepping outside their tradition; they’re extending its relational logic outward. 2. A tradition of argument and listening Jewish learning thrives on debate. The Talmud is a centuries‑long conversation where disagreement is not only permitted but sacred. That intellectual humility...

    Recently, An Afternoon's Dictation (Greenebaum), reached #256 on the Amazon bestseller list of books in ecumenism Christian theology. The book has been on bestseller lists many times.  Book Description:  In 1999 Steven Greenebaum felt he'd hit the wall. Fifty years old, he could not make sense of his life or the world around him. For several months he angrily demanded answers from God, if God were there. One afternoon, an inner voice told him to get a pen and paper and write. Steven then took dictation - three pages, not of commandments but guidance for leading a meaningful life.   An Afternoon's Dictation grapples with, organizes, and deeply explores the revelations Steven received and then studied for over ten years. His sharing is NOT offered as the only possible way to understand it the dictation. It is offered, rather, as a start. The book's sections include deep explorations into "The Call to Interfaith," "The Call to Love One Another," ...