In the past, I’ve been honest about a particular personal hang-up. For whatever reason, I struggle with restlessness. What that means is that every 6 months – sometimes every 6 weeks – I feel a strong impulse to change things. Read something different. Do an eating plan. Download a new app. Change my hairstyle. These are somewhat cosmetic, of course. However there have been times when the desire to make a job change came along with the season of restlessness.... Read more
Let me say that again, differently: the wisdom of spiritual formation will save the world. This week, I was scrolling through Twitter (which I try not to do) and came upon a rather one-sided exchange where Liberty University president Jerry Falwell, Jr. attacked Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission head Russell Moore. Moore had tweeted that the situation with migrants at the border was an issue of Christian compassion and character. Strangely Falwell attacked Moore for the statement. It is strange considering both... Read more
The week technically began yesterday (Monday), but if you’re like me it takes a day to get your bearings. It typically takes a day to figure out what a week, a unique period of life, will look like. A few reminders help jolt us into reality. On Monday cloudy skies hung low over Chicago, pregnant with rain but not yet ready to deliver. The week began with hope, promises, expectations, and tasks. Now, we’re in the midst of what just... Read more
What gives you life? The lesson I have learned in the past 2-3 years is that this question is far more important than it sounds. There are a whole host of reasons why, but the most important is this: Most of us have no clue what truly brings us life. The idea that our desires are important is foreign language to many of us who grew up in a Christian tradition. We don’t know what helps us regenerate. The idea of... Read more
On any given morning in my house, you’ll find one of the mugs pictured here brimming with dark liquid life. They are sacred treasures. The white mug with the red sculpture is from the Rockford Art Deli, a reminder of our time living and serving at a church in Rockford, IL. The middle mug is one that my daughter painted for me years ago. The joke in our family is that the word “Dad” is gently painted above the rear-end... Read more
Ok, so that was a wild title. It’s just a reading list. But the title will make sense in a second. I don’t know about you, but reading other people’s reading lists is extremely helpful. Perhaps it is our desire to know what’s going on in other people’s lives. It may be to mine the lived resources of others to find new or interesting books. Or it could be our general trend towards lists and “listicles” that intrigues us. What... Read more
The first big step in my spiritual formation came in a small church in southern West Virginia. I remember the night clearly; the July heat pounding the concrete sidewalks, the blood red carpet and the faux-oak furniture in the sanctuary. The message flying through the air was not new. Sin has wrecked humanity, and we all deserved death. Quite an opener, if you look at it objectively. But, then there was Jesus. The death and resurrection of Jesus meant we... Read more
In a post from just after Easter, I talked about the lessons I learned while abstaining from podcasts during Lent. It was a challenging but helpful exercise, though I have to say I’m glad to return to the many voices and influences of the podcast world. As the host of a podcast myself, I know what it takes to create these audio adventures. I still marvel from time to time that a purely audio medium has such power. Yet podcasts... Read more
If we feel stuck right now, perhaps we should stay there? The life of faith and all that accompanies gives us ample opportunity to feel stuck. Of course, the word can have several different meanings and implications for us. In relationships, stuck is when we are trying to make progress in conversation or action. We move in what we feel is a helpful direction, saying or doing things that appear to be helpful. In some cases, our “helpful” moves are misconstrued and... Read more
Faith isn’t opposed to thinking, nor is our formation. I’ve always been interested in how the way we think is connected to what we are becoming on this journey with Jesus. Whether it is the way our brain uses curiosity to teach us about the world, or the way we archive memories, the tiny masses of tissue between our ears matters. Please understand, this isn’t some appeal for a more intellectual kind of faith. While I do find my best... Read more
Everything Becoming
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