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Spiritual Stories

Stories of Faith, Devotion & Spirituality

It seems true that, in actuality, all stories address the spiritual side of mankind in one way or another---consider how your favorite story touches you to your soul. These very short stories, however, examine this spiritual side directly, explicitly.

And though they often look through the eyes of Faith, they are not your standard inspirational fare, as they deal with both the joy and pain, the miraculous and mundane, the light and dark of the human spirit.

While there is certainly crossover, these categories represent the focus of the included very short stories.

Christianity

Catholicism

Judaism

Spirituality &
Humanity

Christianity

If God Is for Me, Who Can Be Against Me?
(Romans 8:31)
by M. Stanley Bubien
As a whole, sad... But true?
1 Word, Published November, 2002

An Answer to Prayer by M. Stanley Bubien
As in so many things, consider the question.
2 Words, Published February, 2001

The Last Temptation of Christ by M. Stanley Bubien
...may be the worse temptation of all.
2 Words, Published April, 2000

The Paradox of Humanity by M. Stanley Bubien
John 11:35 - As in all things human, oh the context.
2 Words, Published Jan/Feb, 2002

Desire by M. Stanley Bubien
Perhaps the most basic of them all.
4 Words, Published Aug/Sept, 2003

The Gift by M. Stanley Bubien
Usually given, but some take away.
4 Words, Published May, 2003

The Great Love Story of History by M. Stanley Bubien
Timeless and eternal, though maybe that's redundant.
8 Words, Published April, 2003

Theology 101 by Kathy Bubien
For some the basics are more basic than for others.
8 Words, Published Aug/Sept, 2002

The Answer of Theodicy by M. Stanley Bubien
It really has nothing to do with karma.
32 Words, Published January, 1997.

A Night in Heaven by M. Stanley Bubien
Gives new meaning to the phrase "it felt like it lasted forever."
32 Words, Published July, 1998

The Three Stigmata by M. Stanley Bubien
That's right, three and only three.
32 Words, Published May, 2003

Ode to a Highlander by M. Stanley Bubien
An ode can sometimes sound like a tear, but an immortal crying?
64 Words, Published June, 1996

One Wild Hallucination by M. Stanley Bubien
And this is the wildest of them all.
64 Words, Published May, 1996

It's Not Supposed to Happen that Way by M. Stanley Bubien
It's more or less begging for an explanation.
128 Words, Published August, 1997

Slain in the Spirit by M. Stanley Bubien
Who says there isn't an honest tele-evangelist out there?
128 Words, Published September, 1997

Between Friends by M. Stanley Bubien
Someone once said, "it's the little things that count."
256 Words, Published May, 1998

The Blindman by M. Stanley Bubien
blind - adjective, 1. lacking the power to see.
256 Words, Published May, 2000

Dancing on a Pin by Gary E. Holland
The oldest of questions sometimes reap unexpected answers.
256 Words, Published February, 2001

The First Shall be Last, and the Last First (Mt 20:16) by M. Stanley Bubien
Christ said it; it's up to us to put it into practice.
256 Words, Published January, 1997

Half the Battle by M. Stanley Bubien
And some battles we're given a lifetime to win.
256 Words, Published September, 2000

The Heart of Christ by M. Stanley Bubien
Be careful what you pray for...
256 Words, Published July, 1997

The Most Sinful Man in the World by M. Stanley Bubien
He's something of an enigma, like so many of us.
256 Words, Published December, 1999

O For the Wonderful Love by M. Stanley Bubien
Music, sung by the most beautiful voice, can it be anything but... beautiful?
256 Words, Published January, 2001

A Prayer so Powerful by M. Stanley Bubien
The most powerful, really.
256 Words, Published March, 2004

A Promise in Duress by M. Stanley Bubien
The hardest promises are ones we are often obliged to keep.
256 Words, Published November, 1996

The Song of the Sea by M. Stanley Bubien
Not your traditional tune, but music nevertheless.
256 Words, Published June, 1998

Think Good Thoughts by M. Stanley Bubien
The best advice, hard to follow, can also be hard to give.
256 Words, Published July, 1999

Why I Give Blood Every Eight Weeks Without Fail by M. Stanley Bubien
A simple explanation.
256 Words, Published January, 1997.

After Eighteen Months by M. Stanley Bubien
Just over a year, but it can seem like an eternity.
512 Words, Published March, 1997

The Coast is Clear by M. Stanley Bubien
There are gifts and there are gifts, but to receive them... that's key.
512 Words, Published May, 1998

Crutch by M. Stanley Bubien
Friendships must often stand many different kinds of tests.
512 Words, Published November, 2000

Dry by M. Stanley Bubien
The concept, while simple, sometimes seems difficult to get across.
512 Words, Published September, 2000

The Hardest Part About Tyndale by M. Stanley Bubien
Does that include Barclay too?
512 Words, Published April, 2000

Heaven, the Main Office; Monday Morning by Jean Goldstrom
I - and a few others, apparently - don't like Mondays.
512 Words, Published December, 1998

And I Have Wings by M. Stanley Bubien
And surely this must be all that is needed to soar.
512 Words, Published March, 2003

The Jesus Chicken by Dann Casswell
I have heard that Jesus loves everyone after all...
512 Words, Published March, 2002

Kaiser Bill by Lad Moore
There's no substitute for mystique.
512 Words, Published Jan/Feb, 2002

The Most Important Thing by M. Stanley Bubien
Some people ask "What's in a name?" Some people answer "Everything."
512 Words, Published October, 1998

The Prayer of Faith by M. Stanley Bubien
...Is the most difficult prayer of all.
512 Words, Published May, 1998

Salty, Uncomfortable Stains by M. Stanley Bubien
If you could say anything to God, anything at all, what would it be?
512 Words, Published April, 1999

The Story of Joe by M. Stanley Bubien
It's a little different than the original...
512 Words, Published September, 1999

The Woodsman, Weeping by Joseph Lerner
In forgiveness, is it the giving or the receiving that is the most difficult?
512 Words, Published October, 1998

You'll Never Touch Me by M. Stanley Bubien
Even preachers have lonely moments---especially when they forget.
512 Words, Published June, 1997

I Planned For This by M. Stanley Bubien
And it's up to time to bring such plans to fruition.
1024 Words, Published August, 2000 and March, 2004

Slipping on a Mossy Log by Lad Moore
Is it knowing everything on your Big Chief Tablet Paper, or...?
1024 Words, Published April/May, 2004

The Snake Killing by Jerry Poyner
When it comes to Crazy Joe Ray Shaw, some ideas aren't always as good as they sound.
2048 Words, Published April, 1999

Catholicism

Before the Hermitage Threshold by M. Stanley Bubien
Solitude, silence, escape are sometimes the hardest things to accept.
256 Words, Published June, 1996

Bless Me Father by M. Stanley Bubien
Bearing sins, especially those not your own, is an arduous task.
256 Words, Published July, 1996

Blinded by Grief by M. Stanley Bubien
Hopefully, this blindness is only temporary.
256 Words, Published August, 1996

I Needed a Miracle by M. Stanley Bubien
What do you do when driven to despair?
256 Words, Published March, 1997

My Daughter Lay Dead by M. Stanley Bubien
Faith can fail us and faith can save us.
256 Words, Published February, 1997

Priestly Obligation by M. Stanley Bubien
The hardest decisions are ones we are often obliged to make.
256 Words, Published October, 1996

I Cannot Yet Staunch Your Flow by M. Stanley Bubien
Pain brings tears and more when embraced.
512 Words, Published June, 1997

Padre by Richard K. Weems
Can a father's touch truly make a difference?
1024 Words, Published July, 1999

Great Physician by M. Stanley Bubien
How did you decide what you wanted to be when you grew up?
2048 Words, Published January, 1998

Judaism

The Pain of Yom Kippur
The Joy of Yom Kippur
by M. Stanley Bubien
Just like a double-edged sword...
8 Words, Published September 1996.

Reunion by M. Stanley Bubien
re*union. noun 1: a reuniting of persons after a separation.
256 Words, Published May, 1996

Spirituality & Humanity

The Hopeless Prophet's Gravestone by M. Stanley Bubien
Prophets are a grim bunch, after all.
4 Words, Published November, 1998

Mortality Part I - The Curse by M. Stanley Bubien
Yes, Roy Baty said it best.
4 Words, Published March, 1998

Mortality Part II - The Blessing by M. Stanley Bubien
There is no Part III, unless maybe it's somewhere between.
4 Words, Published March, 1998

Apocalyptic Prophecy by M. Stanley Bubien
He who has an ear let him hear...
8 Words, Published December, 1997

The Man Who Won the World by M. Stanley Bubien
And it's better to win the world than to lose, um, what?
8 Words, Published March, 1997

Dwelling in this House by M. Stanley Bubien
The house of life, that is.
16 Words, Published January, 1998

The Failure of Reincarnation by M. Stanley Bubien
What if you could live life all over again?
16 Words, Published October, 1997

Soul Searching - The Basics by M. Stanley Bubien
If we look deeply enough...
16 Words, Published November, 1997

Litany of Life by M. Stanley Bubien
Do we sing for futility? For fruit? Or forever?
32 Words, Published June, 1998.

Meeting God by M. Stanley Bubien
Not as uncommon as you might think...
64 Words, Published October, 2003

Parting Shot by M. Stanley Bubien
There's getting the last word in, and there's getting the LAST word in!
64 Words, Published March, 1996

A Widow's Final Sentence by M. Stanley Bubien
Look very very closely at that sentence.
64 Words, Published November, 1996

Reincarnation by Carlton Mellick III
The possibilities seem endless, but maybe they're not.
128 Words, Published August, 1999

Rock Stone and Sand by M. Stanley Bubien
Grace abounds in beauty and in ugliness.
128 Words, Published November, 1997

Begging for Mercy by M. Stanley Bubien
When it's the only thing that can save you.
256 Words, Published February, 1997

The Eternal Ocean by M. Stanley Bubien
Sometimes we're blind to our own hopes.
256 Words, Published January, 1997.

The Euthanasia Machine by M. Stanley Bubien
Though mechanical, it is a mercy killing, you know.
256 Words, Published May 13th, 1996.

Firing Squad by M. Stanley Bubien
No one wants to hear the words "ready, aim, fire." No one.
256 Words, Published May, 1996

My Best Friend Died Last Week by M. Stanley Bubien
Taken from the funeral of Stanley Kubrick.
256 Words, Published October, 1999

Fool the Wind Cried by M. Stanley Bubien
But for whom does it cry? Me? You? Him?
512 Words, Published April, 1998

The Gravedigger's Love Song by Steven Duggar
Men digging at graves---what do they think of?
512 Words, Published August, 1998

I Dare Destroy by M. Stanley Bubien
Was it Michael Rounds or George Carlin who called environmentalists
utterly arrogant to teach that mankind could actually destroy our
vast and ancient planet?
512 Words, Published December, 1998

Ode to Nietzsche by M. Stanley Bubien
"Actions speak louder than words" -- Nietzsche did not say that, did he?
512 Words, Published November, 1997

And the Rain Fell Harder by M. Stanley Bubien
Sometimes you find exactly what you're looking for.
512 Words, Published February, 1997

The River Crossing by Alex Keegan
To avoid death sometimes we must do the unthinkable.
512 Words, Published November, 1998

On Eagle's Wings -- A Parable Inspired
by the Legends of the Kwaaymii Indians
by M. Stanley Bubien
Becoming the chief of people takes falling and falling and falling.
1024 Words, Published May, 1997

Or Maybe a Gift by M. Stanley Bubien
Another term, seldom used, for "coincidence."
1024 Words, Published March, 1999

The Rich Man and the Poor Man -- A Parable for Thanksgiving by M. Stanley Bubien
Rich or poor, there's at least one gift we can always give.
1024 Words, Published November, 1996


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