I want more connection with God when I read the Bible, but sometimes the God I read about in the Bible doesn’t seem like the type of person I actually want to connect with at all!
January 21, 2025
So I should read more scripture right? At least that’s how I have often felt! I often notice myself thinking, “If only I was more consistent with my daily devotions!” or “Surely something is wrong with how I’m reading scripture, because I just don’t feel the presence of God enough!”
January 14, 2025
Epiphany is where the Gospel goes a little wild, a little unpredictable - not tame, not kosher! On Epiphany, it was pagan diviners who worshipped the child Jesus as “King and God and Sacrifice” (as the words of the carol say) with their gold, incense and embalming spices. Pagans, who ate weird stuff, spoke a strange language, and weren’t children of Abraham, were right there, in the heart of God’s holy family. And that bugs me!
January 7, 2025
Is it bad that I don’t feel happy today? Do I have to? Does everyone else rejoice when they’re told to? Am I a bad Christian?
December 17, 2024
In the liturgical church calendar we have entered the season of Advent—a time of waiting and preparation for the return of the King—Jesus. Yes, it’s a “reenactment” or remembrance of the time just before Jesus was born, but this Advent I want to focus on you. On today.
December 5, 2024
God knows that I am frail and distractible, and so he treats me gently and compassionately (Psalm 103:13-14). Not so the world, it just sees easy prey. As a limited and fallen thing, I’m a sitting duck for distraction, anxiety, and despair. All of them can easily catch and devour my attention on a daily basis.
November 12, 2024
My train of thought is like a runaway train! Anxious thoughts and feelings barrel through my mind and body faster than I can manage, and I get completely “fused” or “tangled up” with them. The more I try to control them—to answer the “What ifs”—the faster and more out of control my thoughts become! It’s a recipe for disaster.So, instead of trying to wrestle a runaway train, I’m deciding to simply step off the ride...
October 29, 2024
Sometimes I wake up in the morning with this overwhelming sense that everything is up in the air. “Sure, I got through yesterday, but today I’ve got to prove myself for real, and if I don’t...” This is sort of a background litany of thoughts that make up my negative core narrative of “I’m not enough…I’ll always mess up.” Maybe you can relate.
October 22, 2024
A late night experience with my infant son gave me new eyes to see the Aaronic Blessing in Numbers 6:24-26
October 1, 2024
Whenever I lead folks in centering prayer I begin the time by quoting Psalm 46:10: “Be still and know that I am God.” I then slowly work backwards through it as a meditative point of departure for silent prayer. It’s amazing how well each successive line both emphasizes the whole meaning and invites us to meditate on a new dimension of the whole.
September 24, 2024