Category: Spiritual Formation
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Jesus Prays in the Garden of Gethsemane
Read more: Jesus Prays in the Garden of GethsemaneThey went to a place called Gethsemane; and Jesus said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” He took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be distressed and agitated. And said to them, “I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and keep awake.” And going a little farther,…
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Reflections of a Recovering Fatalist
Read more: Reflections of a Recovering FatalistI was an athlete growing up, extremely competitive both then and now, and never gave up during any sort of competitive setting no matter how dire the situation was. For whatever reason, this attitude stayed on the field and was entirely vacant for most of my life outside of sports. On the field, I was…
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Our Evil God
Read more: Our Evil GodEvil things happen in this world, and yet God is still somehow sovereign. This is perhaps the hardest part of Christian theology to accept and understand. How is God sovereign over the persecution of Christians around the world, over the acts of ISIS, over world hunger and poverty, or over smaller evils like my own depression,…
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Depression, Anxiety, and Theology
Read more: Depression, Anxiety, and TheologyI am a Christian who struggles with depression, anxiety, and chronic pain, and Jesus Christ has something to do with it. To reconcile the resurrection of Jesus Christ with the persistent rebellion of my body and mind is an absurd thing. It has become abundantly clear that I cannot understand the whys and hows of…
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Robbing Ourselves of Joy: Entitlement or Grace?
Read more: Robbing Ourselves of Joy: Entitlement or Grace?“You deserve to be happy.” “You deserve someone who treats you well.” “You deserve to be taken care of.” “You deserve the best in life.” Problem: These don’t seem to be happening with much consistency. If there was any cry under which modern culture united, it would be the one that preaches humanity deserving to…
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The Deadly Implications of Reading Scripture
Read more: The Deadly Implications of Reading ScriptureReading scripture has deadly implications. “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before…
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The ‘Blurred Lines’ of Plagiarism, Ownership, and Christian Practice
Read more: The ‘Blurred Lines’ of Plagiarism, Ownership, and Christian PracticeI recall as a first year law student attending a lecture on music copyright by Clyde Spillenger. The professor played a recording of Sweet Georgia Brown by Bernie and Pinkard (the “Harlem Globetrotters song,” if that helps). He then played a folk recording of Hava Nagila (that one Jewish song that you know). He asked students to…
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Do You Know Why You Go To Church?
Read more: Do You Know Why You Go To Church?What is the local church? Not physically so much, but what is the point? I asked this question for years ever since I started going consistently of my own volition in my senior year of high-school. I really only went because I had friends there, and occasionally I’d hear an interesting point about some passage…
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The Art of Listening
Read more: The Art of ListeningMy Favorite Proverb There is one particular biblical verse with which I have been infatuated for some time and which I have made a constant conscious commitment to follow. That verse goes a little something like this: “Ten cubits shall be the length of each board and one and a half cubits the width of…
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Confessions of a Groomzilla-to-Be
Read more: Confessions of a Groomzilla-to-BeOne of the things that I get to do to kick off Sunday services is to host the servant leaders prayer meeting. Generally, I try to put a relational spin to it, just so there isn’t this daunting vibe that’s hanging over the group right before they meet and encourage the arriving crowds. When we…