Episode 030 – Faith Isn’t Certainty Faith is at the very heart of Christianity. It’s crucial. Without Faith, scripture says, it’s impossible to please God. But more than any other part of the spiritual life, faith is misunderstood. When we get this wrong, we set ourselves up for an ugly, painful crash. (And if faith […]
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A Psalm for when COVID-19 upends your life.
At the beginning of April, I moved into my new planner for the 2nd quarter of this year. I browsed back through past appointments, projects, to-dos both completed and left undone. I was stunned at how quickly things can change. Four months ago, life looked one way. And now? Completely different. Then I’d never heard […]
The Trip is the Point (TAW029)
Episode 029 – The Trip is the Point What are you gonna be when you grow up? What college do you want to go to? What are you gonna do when you graduate? Where are you going on your vacation? How soon do you think you can retire? You’ve been asked those questions, or questions […]
When Normal breaks, what do you learn about yourself?
All of a sudden, it becomes clear exactly how fragile “normal” is. The routines, expectations, and plans we all depend on to keep our days moving forward have all been upended by an implacable, invisible enemy. For many of us, this all feels so unexpected. We’re seeing in unarguable ways exactly how little control we […]
Low-Stress Knowing God’s Will (TAW028)
Episode 028 – Low-Stress Knowing God’s Will I grew up in a church community where finding out God’s will was a big deal. Imagine the horror of living your whole life and then discovering you had missed God’s will? So, we spent a lot of time and energy trying to get clear on God’s will […]
An open letter in a time of increasing fear among Christians
My dearest Christian siblings, I’ve been noticing us, seeing our white knuckles and increasingly strident declarations. Some among us are spending a lot of time defining and announcing who the one true Christians are. Some are shouting about liberal slippery slopes. Others are equally angry about conservative gate-keepers. An awfully large contingent is certain that […]
In You I Remain (TAW027) (Anchor Prayer, Part 7)
Episode 027 – In You I Remain So what’s the main goal of Christianity? What is it that we’re all about? Is it about becoming better and better people? Is it about becoming more and more theologically correct? Is it to get us and everyone we love to heaven? If you said yes to any […]
Is Jesus really your way? (A question & A Book Recommendation.)
When congresspeople get to Washington, one of the first tasks in their governing work is receiving their committee assignments. There are more than fifty committees that do the work of investigating, researching, refining, and writing legislation. One of these committees is the Ways and Means Committee, arguably the most important committee in congress. It’s more […]
I Hear in Faith (TAW026) (Anchor Prayer, Part 6)
Episode 026 – I Hear in Faith I’ve been to some very busy places. Giant concerts surrounded by the press of people. City Wide Festivals. Time Square, Grand Central Station. Places where there is so much noise, so much going on, just overwhelming sensory input. But even having been in those kinds of places, I […]
1 reason that new spiritual program or spiritual practice might not be for you.
It’s not unusual to hear some practice or program billed as the next thing that will supercharge your spiritual life. Use this new small group curriculum. It will take you deep as you “do life together.” Take this insightful new personality inventory. You’ll really understand how God made you so that you can live more […]
I Walk by Faith (TAW025) (Anchor Prayer, Part 5)
Episode 025 – I Walk by Faith Recently I was without a car for a few days. So for one appointment, I took a rideshare car to get there. The driver pulled up. I got in the car. Once I was buckled in, he asked me a question. “Where ya headed?” That question is, honestly, […]
Your theology is just a theory.
Your theology is just a theory. No matter how precious. Even when you can back up each clause with scripture, or appeal to your favorite theologian. Are you balking already? Maybe you’re sure your theology the very truth handed down from the apostles. A lot of us think that! Before you assume I’m telling you […]
I Rest in Faith (TAW024) (Anchor Prayer, Part 4)
Episode 024 – I Rest in Faith I have been addicted to an illusion, a false belief. It made me feel better, and so I keep running back to it. But it’s not real. My illusion? I am in control. Part of growing up, part of maturing spiritually, has been learning this obnoxious, even painful […]
Don’t bypass the narrow gate to growth.
There is a narrow gate that must be passed through if we will experience growth and spiritual maturity. It’s called narrow, not because it’s hard to find, but because so few people want to go through it. We want what lies on the other side—growth, maturity, a greater sense of peace, and awareness of God’s […]
Time to Listen to Survivors of Sexual Trauma (TAW023)
Episode 023 – It’s Time to Listen to the Survivors of Sexual Abuse One of the easiest ways to fail to love well is to assume that YOUR experience is canonical and that others have had the same experience you’ve had. We often do this with survivors of trauma. In this episode Mary DeMuth, author […]