Here’s my 6th installment of Lenten reflections. Matthew 17:14-21 is the scripture today. This is a passage about prayer and faith, and it is, quite honestly, a strange and frustrating passage for me.
Lent Reflection – Am I choosing power over love?
Good morning! It’s the 5th day of Lent. Today’s scripture is Matthew 4:1-11, the story of Jesus’ temptations, a crucial reflection for those of us who follow Jesus’ way.
What Christians could learn about power from Jesus’ temptations.
In the wilderness, Jesus faced three temptations and triumphed. In Brothers Karamazov, through the Grand Inquisitor, Dostoevsky claimed the Church has faced these same temptations and soundly failed. Historically, many commentators have seen the temptations as individual sins, such as gluttony or greed. Dostoevsky perceives something different: All three temptations are about power. Jesus refused […]
Lent Reflection – Am I trying to manage how others see me?
Today is the 4th day of Lent, and I’m continuing my series of Lenten reflections. Today’s reading is Today’s scripture is Mark 10:46-52, the story of Bartimaeus, a blind man, and his interaction with Jesus.
Lent Reflection – Am I striving for power?
Today is the 3rd day of Lent. Today continues my series of reflections for Lent. Today is the 3rd day of Lent. I’m continuing my series of reflections with Mark 10:32-45. In this scene we see the difference that often exists between our expectations and God’s when it comes to the tools we use to […]
Lent Reflection – Are my things in my way?
Today continues my series of reflections for Lent. Today is the 2nd day of Lent, and the scripture I’m reading and reflecting on is Mark 10:17-31, the scene where Jesus interacts with a man we’ve come to call the ”Rich Young Ruler.”
Lent Reflection – Is my mind set on human things?
(This series is an edited and updated version of reflections I wrote during Lent of 2021. Because I’m in graduate school I don’t have time to write brand new material for 40 days straight, but I am using these for my own Lent devotion, updating them as seems right for my journey currently and the […]
When You Join the Club of the Vulnerable + An Update
Sometimes you find that you are a member of a club you never wanted or intended to join. The club is made up of folks who share some particular difficult or painful life experience with you. They know the feeling you’re having, they know the ropes of this situation, they’ve been-there-done-that. And now—even though you […]
When Our Body Keeps Record of Wrong
We are “fearfully and wonderfully made,” says Psalm 139:14. When life is good, this seems a glorious mystery. When someone finds themselves stuck in the painful waves of unresolved trauma, this same mystery feels terrifying. Someone in this place of fear and confusion ought to find shelter in the church. Followers of Jesus ought to […]
Make an offering of frustration.
The fall schedule is upon us! After more than a year of everyone in my family being in the same place all the time, life has exploded. Four different schools and school schedules, three different jobs and work schedules, church roles, life management. I like new starts usually. For me, fall has always meant anticipation […]
When deconstruction comes from hope.
If you’re worried about the number of Christian folks who are deconstructing, take a deep breath. If you’re experiencing it yourself, no need to panic. I’ve had a tangible experience of deconstruction these past few weeks that clarified how it is often a necessary and healthy experience.
Are you doing your faith?
Last weekend I hosted the Writers Advance. I want to talk about it briefly, but before you click away thinking this doesn’t apply to you, give me about four minutes. This retreat reminded me of something crucial to healthy spiritual growth.
We are being gathered. (Unexpected encouragement amidst the hate mail.)
Well, this past week has been a crazy emotional ride! Last week I sent out an email update. As always, the email included a link to my latest blog and podcast. It also started with an open letter to folks who follow my writing online. I thought I’d get hate mail. (Or, maybe more accurately, […]
76% (And why that number guts me).
In the days following the recent election, I saw a graph that stunned me. I cannot get it out of my head. It showed a statistical breakdown of who voted for which candidate from exit poll data, suggesting that 76% of this particular group voted to re-elect the incumbent. 76%. Numbers that high mean that […]
Jeremiah’s words for Christians in 2020.
The circumstances we find ourselves in are not what we would have chosen. COVID is still killing more than a thousand people in the U.S. each day, and there seems to be no coherent plan on the horizon to address this. Protests against police brutality have continued—in Portland, we’ve passed 130 consecutive days—and yet there […]