This IS Us. We Need To Own It. (TAW040)

Episode 040 – This IS Us. We Need To Own It. “This isn’t us. This isn’t America. We are better than this.” Have you heard—or said—those words recently? Well, you may not want to hear this, but the only way forward is to let those words go.

You Need an Architecture of Grief (TAW039)

Episode 039 – You Need an Architecture of Grief (Interview with James Prescott) Twenty Twenty seems to be the car wreck that just keeps going, and the result is that many of us are experiencing more and more pain and grief. How are we to deal with this? Writer James Prescott and I discuss the […]

Would Jesus call you (or your church) Satan? (TAW038)

Episode 038 – Would Jesus call you (or your church) Satan? “Get behind me, Satan!” Those are the words Jesus said to Peter. Yikes! But as I survey the current landscape of Christianity, I wonder if Jesus is saying this to us, or to our churches. In this episode, I reflect on what Jesus meant […]

Don’t Avoid Starting Over (TAW036)

Episode 036 – Don’t Avoid Starting Over I like knowing stuff. I like being seen as a good person. I love being an expert. Weird that I became a pastor, right? But here’s the thing. As much as I like this stuff, I’ve discovered it’s not very good for me. Turns out that being an […]

Your Values are Showing! (TAW035)

Episode 035 – Your Values are Showing! Pain is a terrible thing to waste. At least, that’s what my Trauma Therapist friend says. So, how are we using the pain of this difficult time of pandemic and protests so that we can be better people? This is part 3 of my 3 part conversation with […]

The 5 Stages of Pandemic Grief (TAW034)

Episode 034 – The 5 Stages of Pandemic Grief We are going through deep weeds right now — pandemic, protests, unemployment, so many losses — and it doesn’t look like it’s going to get better any time soon. But there’s one important factor that will determine how well we deal with all of it. We […]

Pentecost, Breathing & George Floyd (TAW032)

Episode 032 – Pentecost, Breathing & George Floyd This is the air I breathe! My heart broke open this week as I watched the events unfold around the murder of George Floyd, and the protests and riots that followed. At the same time, I was studying the lectionary passages for Pentecost. This is an edited […]

COVID, Suffering & Jesus (TAW031)

Episode 031 – COVID, Suffering & Jesus How are you doing with this COVID-19 thing? Are you afraid? Are you angry? Are you confused by all the different information about what to do? Are you just ready for it to be over? I get it. I’ve been all those things, and my feelings change from […]

Faith Isn’t Certainty (TAW030)

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]