My morning commute reminds me that I am not the Christian I should be. I drive nine miles to my job—two miles of neighborhood, three miles of suburban commerce, and four miles of houses.
Connections 02.05.2023: Who Are We to Say?
January 29, 2023 by
For someone who claims to have come preaching to the Corinthians “in weakness and in fear and in much trembling” (v. 3), the Apostle Paul always seems to me to be very certain.
Formations 09.18.2022: Spiritual Worship
September 11, 2022 by
Have you ever noticed the progression in today’s passage? Paul begins with the bottom line: Christians must worship God rightly, presenting our bodies to God as a living sacrifice (v. 1).
Spiritual Growth: Polishing the Cup or Growing in Love?
October 5, 2021 by
People enter into the process of spiritual direction for many reasons, and sometimes it takes time and deep listening for me to discern the motivation. “Remember,” a mentor once cautioned, “the real director is the Holy Spirit. Our job is to discern the direction the Holy Spirit is wanting to guide the directee and cooperate with that.”
A View from the Pew: Taking a Personal Spiritual Retreat
February 18, 2020 by
I’ve never hiked the Appalachian Trail, but I know people who have. It sounds like something I would want to do, but then again, maybe not.
The Spiritual Significance of Star Wars
December 17, 2019 by
The same excitement that makes Star Wars a great entry point to the rudiments of physics, for example, also makes it a great resource for spiritual reflection and discussion.
Faith Postures: Noticing Our (God-repaired) Selves
February 6, 2019 by
Sometimes I mistakenly read the Bible like a Jane Austen book. Life seems so simple in Pride and Prejudice or in Sense and Sensibility; the good people are good, the bad people are bad, and everyone knows who is who.
Spiritual but Not Religious
August 29, 2018 by
Many would say, to use a modern phrase, that Lincoln was “spiritual but not religious.” Such a posture should be celebrated as an expression of heartfelt belief and longing, but it should also be considered with a word of caution.
Connections 07.31.2016: Seasons of Spiritual Life
July 24, 2016 by
One of my favorite contemporary Christian artists is Nichole Nordeman. Her songs range from poignant reflections on the seasons of life to grateful awe to bold declarations of uncertainty and doubt.
In Pursuit of the Spirit: God in the Midst
February 10, 2016 by
We hear about or meet people who meditate for forty-five minutes each morning in total silence, people who spend half an hour in prayer every day, or read their Bible regularly, and those of us with busy lives, and busy minds, think wouldn’t that be nice?
In Pursuit of the Spirit: Practicing Lent
March 11, 2015 by
I’m in the process of (slowly) reading The Art of Family and Everyday Spirituality by Gina Bria. I’m not very far along, but the way in which Bria speaks about the role of family has captured my imagination.
Formations 10.05.2014: Who Benefits from Gifted Education?
September 28, 2014 by
Who benefits most from elementary-school gifted programs? According to a study from two economics professors, it isn’t the students with the highest IQs but those with more average IQs but high standardized test scores.
Are you Religious…or Spiritual?
February 5, 2014 by
Does having your name on the membership roll of a church mean you are spiritual, and does church attendance always reconnect you to your soul? And is there something more than connecting to your own True Self about spirituality? Can you be spiritual and not have a personal, vital, love relationship with God?