Jesus at 2AM - A Humorous, Intelligent Look at the Bible, Church History & the Life of Faith

Is it possible to have an unmediated experience of God? A direct encounter with the divine that transcends any use of the senses or even the intellect? The classical answer is –  yes!  And its pursuit is the goal of the mystic tradition (an element of the spiritual life that is accessible to us all, […]

In this episode, we turn to the next of our spiritual "personality types" (i.e., attraits) – the apophatic-speculatives. What defines an apophatic is a basic desire to escape distraction. They are the ones who love the very idea of a silent retreat or the spiritual practice of "simplicity." They are not anti-creation. Nor are they anti-social or […]

Just as some people need faith to make intellectual sense, so others need to feel it – to have the emotional experience of God's presence, to know in the manner of the heart and not the head. These are the "affectives." (And all of us are affective to a degree, some just more so than […]

For me, another January 1st begs the question: Is "new" really possible?  New in the sense of a genuinely a clean slate, a fresh start, even new heart or a new creation? I want to say yes, but the combination of my awareness of a finite universe, my limited capacities  and many failed "resolutions" leave me wondering. […]

How one over-busy pastor remembers that you can't be a part of peace on earth until you find peace within (and with God). In this episode I take a pretty personal look at what to do when the internal angst is up, satisfaction with the state of the world is low and prayer feels impossible. […]

For centuries the church has linked Isaiah 35 with abounding joy. (If searching for a reason to sing "Joy to the World," the church would put this passage high on the list of reasons why!) In this episode, I do my best to explain why this poetic vision is cause for rejoicing, how it is […]

How does one put words a vision of a world in which peace and compassion had become the truest laws of nature?  That is the work given by God to Isaiah – putting language to the depth of shalom that is coming, a picture of creation as it will be when the project of salvation is […]

In this first week of Advent – the season of preparation for Christ's coming – we turn  to an early oracle of the prophet Isaiah in which recounts a vision of God's coming salvation and the blessings of peace: For out of Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He […]

I first laughed at the idea of wall between United States and Mexico. Now I fear the potential exists for many, many more to be built… Not physical walls, but personal and cultural barriers to connection. It seems to me that the ultimate winner of this election has been division – the deepening of an […]

We begin our study at the four basic attrait combinations (think "spiritual personality types") with an in-depth look at the kataphatic-speculative quadrant. In short, these are people who relate to God primarily by means of connection to the created world (kataphatic) and for whom things need to "make sense" (speculative). If you are listening to this podcast, odds are […]

Church traditions, regardless of whether than have a clear denominational affiliation (e.g., the Presbyterians, Lutherans, Baptists…) not, tend to have a set of "disciplines" they believe are most critical to making progress towards maturity and are often unaware that there are other schools of thought. Turn up at one congregation and there will be emphasis galore on Bible […]

In this final set of sermons on the classical tradition of spiritual formation, we turn to our attention to creating an individualized set of practices that can guide us to maturity in Christ (known as "Rule" or a "rule of life").  This is what we will develop over the next 10 sermons. We begin with […]

Given the centrality of the psalms in Hebrew worship, it is strange that Jesus's disciples would ask for instruction in prayer; and yet they do. What follows is famously known as "The Lord's Prayer," and while it's familiarity makes it seem quite formal and placid, the contents would have been highly provocative to Jesus's audience. […]

Does God respond to our prayers? For most of us the answer feels to be "no." Or at least we feel no sense direct communication. We may see a change in circumstances that we attribute to God. Or we may have a sense of subtle direction.  But a clear, direct response? That seems like it never comes. In […]

What do we do when all seems lost? What action remains when our energy has been exhausted, our resources drained and the danger comes from elements far beyond our control? What remains is to pray. To come before the source of all power and goodness and ask for help. Indeed the first demonstration of goodness is […]

Lust, greed, rage, fear, jealousy, scorn…  What do we do when such passions surge (as they inevitably will)? For many people of faith striving to grow in love and compassion, the immediate temptation is suppression: force the thought from our mind and tighten the inner security to make sure they never come back. It's an […]

Why do we stay on this crazy path of faith? At least some part of me is always asking. And while my theology is of some help (it's broken world, God is making all things new, faith will be vindicated at the end of the age…yadda, yadda), I sometimes need a more immediate and personal answer. […]

Why do bad things happen to good people? And why do good things happen to bad people? And when such things occur, are they signs that I've been a fool to follow the virtuous path??? Temptation in the life of faith has to do with far more than just the momentary impulses to break the rules. […]

Anger is a core human emotion – a healthy response to injustice. But like all primal responses, anger can turn on us in an instant, and what begins as a proper defensive impulse transforms into the desire for retribution, even revenge. And when it does, we transition from victim to perpetrator-in-the-making – a position we cannot […]

What do we say when the beauty and goodness of life takes our breath away? We've all had the experience of such awe and wonder that we are reduced to stunned silence. We reach for our cameras to capture it our phones to record it. We may later turn to painting or sculpture or music […]

There is nothing harder for me to bring to God than guilt – real guilt.  Not the shame of a minor offense or trivial wrong-doing. But the guilt of one who has transgressed very badly, who has clearly overstepped the bound of righteousness love. In those times when I know that I am guilty and possess no defense, […]

Often our most desperate hours are marked by a fundamental sense of disorientation. Beyond the direct emotions of fear, sorrow, even anger…is the larger feeling that world as we once knew it has been overturned. We no longer know which way is up or where to find a port in the storm. It is in these moments – perhaps more […]

Doubt is a part of every intimate relationship. No matter how confident we are in the love of another, there are times when we wonder if that love endures (if it was every really there at all). It happens in friendships, families, marriages…and in our relationship with God. We ought not be surprised by this or […]

We've all heard of the "foxhole prayer" – pleading with God in our most desperate hour. It's an experience we've all had, and one that often comes with a tinge of guilt: Will God be angry that we turn to prayer only when we are overcome with fear? Take heart, then, to know that the […]

The great gift of the psalms is that they give us the words to pray from the depth of our soul, to give words to our experience. We pray them not because they are the "approved" prayers of the church, but because they help us articulate (and thus feel) what is most true about ourselves […]