Delight in Disorder Ministries
Tony Roberts, Chief Shepherd
Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.
(Psalms 37:4)
The Revealing Voices website has been retired. Prior podcasts may be accessible on various podcast sites.
Finding the Divine God in the Midst of Human Disorder
"... neither Jesus nor Paul is especially concerned about order, niceness, or social control. They are concerned about transformation of persons and history and about using the very disorder of people’s lives to bring them to God." ~ Richard Rohr A thoughtful friend recently sent me the Richard Rohr meditation "A Man Who Lived and Loved Paradox" from which this quote comes. She knows I often struggle to find divine delight in the midst of desolating disorder. Lately I've been going through such times. Two days ago, I was certain I had discovered a vocational path as a poet who earned supplemental income as an AI editor. This prospect had me emotionally levitating above my mundane existance. I drifted off to sleep Wednesday night with dreams of making my mark on the world in spite of my madness. Then came Thursday morning. Actually, it came and went. I slept through [...]
Saint Sosthenes of Chacedon: Executioner Converted by a Martyr’s Faith
"Saint Sosthenes of Chalcedon, also known as Sostene, was an executioner who was assigned to torture Saint Euphemia during the early Christian persecutions under the reign of Emperor Diocletian. It was during this encounter that Sosthenes witnessed the steadfast faith and fervent prayers of Saint Euphemia, which deeply moved his heart and ultimately led to his conversion to Christianity..." (Source: https://saintforaminute.com/saints/saint_sosthenes_of_chalcedon) I have been walking with the Saints for some time, learning about their lives in faith and faith in death from a variety of sources. Most recently, my Spiritual Director introduced me to the Laudate App which provides exhaustive research on the Saints each day. As part of my Catholic education and spiritual growth, I have been praying to the Saints listed there and noting those Saints to whom I am particularly drawn. Today's featured Saint was St. Sosthenes of Chalcedon, a Roman Executioner whose conversion to Christ began [...]
Wendell Berry Is Dead. Long Live Wendell Berry.
"Kentucky writer and conservationist Wendell Berry once wrote: “Beware the machinery of longevity. When a man’s life is over the decent thing is for him to die. The forest does not withhold itself from death.” A lover of forests, the farmer, author and former English professor died on Monday at his home in Port Royal, according to the New York Times and other media reports. He was 92." - Kentucky Lantern (August 31, 2026) Wendell Berry is dead Facebook tributes fill my feed Beside a President post Calling farms without data centers Backwards - impeding progress Wendell wrote that Impeded streams sing I feel the need to impede Not just feed - plant seeds As Wendell is laid to rest His spirit rises from the dead His community remembers him well His land is better from his care The Mad Farmer no longer labors It's time we pick up his [...]
Our Prodigal Father: A Father’s Day Reflection
Father's Day elicits so many mixed emotions for people of all generations. Young children grateful for their Superman Daddy. Teens who see dad as a bungling idiot. New fathers who wish they had paid more attention to their father's advice. Wounded adult children angry at the fathers who neglected or abused them. Fathers who regret mistakes made or opportunities missed. Sandwich generation folks who now see the vulnerabilities of a man they once saw as stronger than steel. And those who feel the bittersweet joy of times remembered mingled with grief over a life lost never to be regained. As a son, I want to say to all fathers -- "Thank you for giving what you have out of love for your children." As a father, I want to say, "Celebrate what God has done through you even in moments you feel you've messed up." There are many reasons we [...]
Eating Flesh and Blood Goodness
"Our dear Lord said: "My flesh is truly food, and my blood is truly drink; whoever feeds on me remains in me, and I in him." It was enough that he should become man so that man might become God. He even wanted to be our food as well." — Father John Tauler, O.P. Lord Jesus much of what I eat is not good for me The food I choose to consume Does damage to my gut, my heart, my mind I eat and drink the things of this world That cause me to crave more That is not you Only you can satisfy my hunger Only you can satiate my thirst You invite me to this table Unworthy as I am I eat your flesh, drink your blood Not just good for me Goodness itself — Brother Antony Joseph Corpus Christi, 2026
Man and Woman He Created Them: A Saint Blesses Our Bodies
Before Pope Leo’s Magnificent Humanity Encyclical there was Pope John Paul II’s Man and Woman He Created Them. As someone whose boundaries were violated by a childhood coach, I have much body shame and find it next to impossible to know who I can trust. By the grace of God and with the help of 40+ years of therapy (the last two in recovery from addiction) I am “coming to believe” I can trust the Holy Spirit in me. I now have great hope in Christ that I need no longer be held captive by the shame that was inflicted in me. God gives me the spiritual discernment to be protected from the powers and principalities in the world that seek to do me harm. Within the Body of Christ, I find safety to grow in grace and live in love.