Spirituality In Everyday Life
Norris Burkes
As a military and hospital chaplain, I routinely observe the stories of faith in the everyday lives of real people. My site tells those faith stories in a humorous, hope-filled, and honest way. I believe you will find them inspiring and potentially life-changing. Most of all, I believe the insight within these stories will connect with your story in a meaningful way. Enjoy!
Thriving Beyond Surviving
As a hospital and military Chaplain Norris Burkes has seen things he must never tell. Yet as a syndicated columnist in 38 secular newspapers around the country, he has found ways to share shades of the sacred with his readers.
This book compiles ten years of newspaper columns that takes you into the military battlefield as well as the trauma rooms of major hospitals.
Recent Columns From Norris Burkes
By Norris Burkes Jan 16, 2026 Thirty-five years ago, I was pastoring my first church, when I began worrying about job security. So, I called my dad, a retired pastor, to ask a personal question. “Dad, were you ever fired from a church?” “Yes, in Louisiana,” he said. “I brought a black man to church […]
[Read More]By Norris Burkes Feb 9 2026 What do you get when you assume?” goes the common riddle. The answer comes when you divide the word assume down the middle: You make an ass out of “U” and “Me.” Don’t worry, I can say “ass” because it’s in the Bible. But during my years as a […]
[Read More]By Norris Burkes Jan 3, 2026** During the 25 years I spent as a healthcare chaplain, I had more than one person attempt to enlist my help in keeping their dying family member out of hell. In my best compassionate voice, I often tell them it is not a chaplain’s role to persuade the dying that […]
[Read More]By Norris Burkes, Dec 28. 2025 Do you consider yourself a charitable person? If so, what motivates you to give? This is a question that Rabbi Moses Maimonides from the 13th century gave thought we should all consider. So, he made a list called “Eight Degrees of Charity,” that rated our motivation for giving. Maimonides […]
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