This is part two of the post from Monday, talking about two different kinds of spiritual formation or training. Previously, talked about “active formation” that occurs when we make intentional choices, training us for spiritual growth. Today, we cover the other side of the coin – passive formation. It Happens To Us The large majority of spiritual growth comes from the things we experience in life. Often, it comes in the things that happen to us. We feel the sting of unmet... Read more
Spiritual health doesn’t always follow the path you expect. The moment came, and my daughter was elated. We were on our way to church but first we made a stop at Starbucks. We didn’t stop for me, we stopped for her. She was ready when the drive-thru voice crackled to life: I want a venti Ultra Caramel Frappuccino with regular whipped cream. I tried to deliver it with the same gusto, the same energy that she had, but I fell... Read more
The biggest obstacles to our spiritual life are often our own healthy survival mechanisms. I suppose that phrase needs some unpacking. I recently had the privilege of interviewing Ed Cyzewski for the otherWISE podcast, talking about his book “Flee, Be Silent, Pray: Ancient Prayers for Anxious Christians.” The thrust of the book is quite simple, namely that learning the practices of contemplation and contemplative prayer help to lift us out of our spastic, reactionary spiritual lives. The beauty of contemplation... Read more
Every day has grace of its own. My daughter, affectionately known as “The B,” turned to me and asked for my phone. We were settling into the car, headed to school. “I want to play some music this morning,” she said quietly as she tap-tap-tapped her way to Spotify. The rough morning journey to school came as expected, a pre-teen unhappy with the hour at which she had to rise. I hadn’t showered yet, which was fine, the dried salt of... Read more
In my post from earlier this week, I wrote out of a place of rage. To be honest, even before reading the Houston Chronicle’s article about sexual abuse in some Southern Baptist Churches, I was already thinking about the intersection of faith and emotions. The relationship with faith and feeling has taken a beating as of late. I read a tweet advertising a church’s sermon series that highlighted that life with God is about “faith, not about feelings.” The heart... Read more
If we are searching for God in the present, perhaps a good place to look is the fiery center of our rage? This weekend, I came across an article from the Houston Chronicle detailing rampant sexual abuse within some churches in the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). The stories detailed in the article are heartbreaking. Many of the accused (and some convicted) church leaders are still serving in church leadership. They’re in positions where they have both access to men and women... Read more
I shook off the cold as I walked through the house. It was a tidy 5 degrees outside. The wind chill performed meteorological subtraction bringing that “5” down to -1. Taking off my scarf, I found my wife folding my shirts into what resembled thick rectangular envelopes. I threw my coat on the bed, “I see you’re tidying up.” She nodded, grinning. The night before we watched the first episode of Netflix’s Tidying Up with Marie Kondo. Much ink has... Read more
Until I saw the car next to me, I have to admit I wasn’t paying much attention other cars or the “others” in them. It is a common experience. You’ve had it too, if you’re brave enough to admit it. Tracking my typical way home from the office, I went into default mode and simply drove. I executed the basic functions of steering, braking, turning, etc. but I did it out of my procedural memory. The drive became automatic. I... Read more
It seems like forever ago that the last episode hit the world, so I’m happy to say that otherWISE podcast will return starting this coming week. Last year, I started a podcast because frankly I thought it would be fun. I found myself in beautiful conversations, asking myself the question “Why can’t everyone be in on this?” The thought then occurred to me: they can. The podcast is born out of a desire to bring interesting conversations to as many people as... Read more
My view today is obscured by frost on my window pane. Frozen air meets a warm house. Yes, the house is warm. A blessing. Winter in Chicago is a different sort of beast. Typically “differences” in regions are spoken about with articulate, even poetic language. This week, if there is poetry to be spent on the weather it is the frozen poetry of lament. Wind chills will force the temperature just outside my frost stained window down towards -50 degrees.... Read more
Everything Becoming
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