Spiritual direction is the place where I have rediscovered faith to be alive and active, Jesus to be fully human, and God to be faithful.
All in Discipleship
A Heart Aflame: On Piety and the Glory of God
The goal of piety is to recognize and praise the glory of God—glory that shines in God’s attributes, in the structure of the world, and in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Interpretive Leadership: Seeking God’s Preferred Future
As the church—as God’s people—the big question is not, “Where are we headed?” but “Where is God headed?”
Faithful Disappointment
It is in these seasons of distress that we can experience quite a bit of theological disorientation. We start to question God’s involvement in our lives. We wonder if God has forgotten us.
The Distraction Condition
Who wants to welcome the suffering and silence necessary to quiet life’s distractions, peel back the layers insulating our hearts, and expose our truest self to God for the sake of the world around us?
Love Them More
With one act of love, an ISIS cell that was responsible for the deaths of fourteen Christians changed their behavior from hatred to respect. The choice to love his enemies brought peace to that village.
The Devil's in the Details: The Purpose of Our Privilege
The devil tempts us in this same way. He entices us with luxury, or causes us to fixate on our needs until we forget that God put us here to do more than eat and drink.
Back in the Saddle Again (Part 2)
In this installment I’m tempted to follow my own advice and write a little more about God’s love.
The Things that Make for Peace
Against a national backdrop of division and a focus on the things that tear us apart - week after week we were met with Jesus’s radical message of inclusive love.
Imagination As Resurrection
I have days where I am in love with the text, when it really connects with my heart. But there are days when reading my Bible feels more tedious than treasured.
Not My Sin, Not My Problem
I am now a part of a society that has been deeply shaped by the widespread suffering that results from the sins of our history.
The Bible in Analog
Preachers and teachers of Scripture would do well to rediscover an appreciation of Scripture for the sake of Scripture. Being busy prevents us from appreciating Scripture simply as Scripture.
A Reminder from Flat Worms
Scripture is meant to transform, influence, and tame you. Scripture is still God’s word for a people, not a people’s interpretation of God’s word for a people.
Communities for Questioners
The questions that we’re afraid to even have because they cause us to doubt our own faithfulness to God There has to be a place for these questions, and thus a place for the people who carry them around.
Why Sing in Jail?
Praising God in the midst of the storm as it were. Realizing they were forgiven by God’s grace and choosing to express that by the way they lived.
A Discipleship Prayer
Lord Jesus, show me your heart Give me your heart I'm desperate for you Lord I want to know you, even in this life. Lord give me a glimpse and then empower me to live it.
Zip, Click
I grew up reading Scripture and praying diligently, I just never had a whole lot of direct exposure to the art of sitting still, being quiet in God’s presence.
The Real Reason and Remedy for a Divided Society
There's an answer to greed. We find it among the ancient Christian virtues. It will require some definition, but here is the remedy to our divided society. Charity.
Living within Limits
The good news is that there is something deeply spiritual about living and working within God-ordained limits--or to put it another way, living fully and acceptingly within our own set of realities.
January’s Gentle Whisper
New Year’s has become a time to plan to build for ourselves the best year we have ever had. It is important to stop at some point in our ever-moving lives and ask if what we are doing is good.