The Read Think Pray Podcast

In this Lent reflection, we explore Walter Brueggemann’s challenge in The Prophetic Imagination to confront death, suffering, and “crossless” Christianity. We consider how the cross shapes true discipleship, why denial of death numbs us, and how embracing grief, lament, and hope leads us to deeper faith in the God of endings—and resurrection. Purchase The Prophetic Imagination by Walter Brueggeman...

As Lent draws to a close and we enter Holy Week, we look back at the story of the first Christian martyr—Stephen. Though the cross isn’t explicitly mentioned in Acts 7, Stephen’s final words echo the words of Jesus from the cross, revealing how deeply the message of Christ had taken root. This episode reflects on how the cross had already begun to spread—into Stephen, into the church, and ultimate...

In this episode of The Read Think Pray Podcast , we read from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s sermon “Transformed Nonconformist,” found in his collection Strength to Love. Dr. King reminds us that the Christian life is not a path around suffering, but often a journey straight through it. Carrying the cross will leave marks—but they are marks of faithfulness, not failure. What if the pain you're e...

What sets Christianity apart from other religions and Christians from other virtuous people? The cross. Believing in it and acting like the man crucified on it. Purchase The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer -- You can reach out to the podcast: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠contact@readthinkpray.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Visit the podcast website at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠readthinkpray.com⁠⁠

To answer the question, "Is Christianity hard or easy?" we bring in C.S. Lewis who answers...it's both. To follow Jesus Christ means to go all-in. Christ wants all of us. ALL. That's what the cross took from Christ, all. So it's hard in that way, we give Christ all of us. But it's easy in that Christ accepts our all, and gives us his. Purchase Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis. -- You can reach out...

The disciples experienced the crucifixion of Jesus prior to understanding why it was necessary, as is often true with the crosses we bear. Despite our desire for an answer to "why," it's usually on the other side, if it's there at all. And it is some comfort that we at least know how the Lord works and that we are not getting some special 'keep them in the dark' treatment...

People around Jesus at his crucifixion commanded him, "Come down now from the cross that we may see and believe" (Mk. 15:32). Do we sometimes do the same thing? Command Jesus? We see injustice or unfairness and think, "I know what Jesus should do right now!" Except Jesus doesn't take commands—well, not from us, but from the Father. Instead, we ought to trust Jesus. Put our...

In this episode we look at who stood near to Christ during the crucifixion and who "stood at a distance." The cross reveals where we stand; right there with Jesus or far off, treating him like an "acquaintance." The good news is that no matter where we stand, Jesus invites us to come closer and has work for us to do. -- Reach out to the podcast: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠contact@readthinkpray.com...

We are called to pick up our cross and...hold it for how long? Baxter suggests a long time, until Christ's return. He also challenges us to be patient while we hold the cross this whole time. How does someone do that? 1) prayer, 2) community, 3) not putting it down, and 4) keeping our eyes on Christ. Purchase The Saints Everlasting Rest by Richard Baxter. -- You can reach out to the podcast: ⁠...

Our afflictions are not curses, because Christ became a curse for us on the cross. People often wonder why certain things happen to them or others and there isn't always a good answer. We know this though, for those in Christ it's not happening because your are being cursed. And one way to help us see and understand such a profound truth is to take inventory of our mercies and see God at w...

When you are discontent, what do you do? The puritan Jeremiah Burroughs suggests that you look to Jesus on the cross. It sounds obvious but when is the last time you tried it? The cross breaks a lot of our reasons for being discontent and encourages us to see the greater ill, the greater pain, the greater sacrifice in Jesus. Purchase The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment from Amazon or directly...

In his classical work, John Owen discusses how sin remains in the believer's life and how our daily work ought to be the mortification of the flesh. In this episode, we discuss how even though the cross finished the work of sin's penalty and debt, we still have to keep fighting, lest we too misunderstand the cross. Purchase The Mortification of Sin from Amazon or directly from the publishe...

Today begins our week of reading through the Puritans and we begin with Richard Sibbes and his explanation of who the bruised reeds are from Matthew 12:20. By being made aware of our sin we are bruised, in that we see just how prideful and sinful and incomplete works we still are. But the very person who bruises us is the same person (and the only person) who can offer us true healing from such a...

In this episode, we discuss Jesus being mocked at the cross and how those ridiculing him misunderstood; they missed it. Carrying your cross for Christ comes with being misunderstood; the world won't get it. But is our job always to react by correcting or yelling? Is that how Christ treated us when we misunderstood? Is that how Christ treated those who misunderstood at the cross? -- Reach out t...

In the summer of 1573, Janneken van Munstdorp was martyred for her faith. She was 28 years old, had gotten married just six months prior, and was pregnant with their first child. Her husband was quickly executed, and she was allowed to give birth to their baby daughter and give the baby away before being burned at the stake. Before dying though, she wrote a letter to her newborn daughter, which we...

In today's episode, we consider John Calvin's likening the cross to medicine (or vitamins). That, without frequently coming to the cross we will drift from it. We become out of shape spiritually and lazy. On our own, the flesh wants to indulge and go wild, or go low and isolated, or perhaps the greatest temptation...to go normal. According to Calvin, the remedy for this sickness is the cro...

What do we do when we want to pick up our cross for Christ but can't? Ulrich Zwingli, a giant of church history and tough-as-nails Swiss Reformer, lay sick in bed with the plague, convinced he was both dying and being attacked. And what did he do? He said that he lay beneath the cross of Christ. If we can't pick up our own cross, perhaps Zwingli teaches us to crawl under the cross of Jesus...

In this episode, Martin Luther teaches how to confess our sins; "... when my conscience hurts with remorse and sin’s sting, I fix my eyes on Christ." There on the cross, we find the sin that conquers our sin and a death that kills our death. The cross is both the result of our sin and the resolve for its stain and pain. -- You can reach out to the podcast: ⁠⁠contact@readthinkpray.com⁠⁠ V...

John Wycliffe teaches us that Christianity is not a contest of who can suffer the most. In doing so he uses Martha as an example of carrying our Cross. As far as we know Martha never suffered some great pain or was persecutred for the faith, but she believed in Christ. That is the point; Jesus Christ, not how much we suffer for him. -- You can reach out to the podcast: ⁠contact@readthinkpray.com⁠...

In John 19:19 we get the inscription of Jesus on the cross, "Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews." Except, it wasn't true. What does the cross say about us? And what does the world, or people, say about us because of the cross? Do we know the difference? And how do we respond to both? Those are some of the questions we think through in this episode. -- You can reach out to the po...

In this episode we read Thomas Aquinas respond to the opposition of where Jesus died, that he ought to have died somewhere more divine. But the hill Jesus was crucified on was pretty insignificant...until after Christ. Something we all can relate to. -- You can each out at contact@readthinkpray.com Visit the podcast website at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠readthinkpray.com⁠⁠

In a leadership book to clergy St. Gregory The Great reminds his readers that Jesus "did not wish to become a king." Don't you wish for rank, for title, for exaltation? Even if we don't seize it, don't we wish it? This Lent try, just try, for one day, to not even wish for exaltation. Pray and ask for help to wish for the cross. -- Visit the podcast website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠read...

In a leadership book to clergy St. Gregory The Great reminds his readers that Jesus "did not wish to become a king." Don't you wish for rank, for title, for exaltation? Even if we don't seize it, don't we wish it? This Lent try, just try, for one day, to not even wish for exaltation. Pray and ask for help to wish for the cross. -- Visit the podcast website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠readt...

St. Augustine, in a sermon on Mark 8:34, encourages us to take the road that leads to heaven, the road of the cross. It's a hard and long road; with abuse, wounds, insults, and more. And if you're not in the best season of life right now, follow all the same, choose the cross still, just...with a step. One small step if that's all you got today. But choose the cross, because Jesus is better. And b...

Eusebius, in 308 A.D., recalls watching Christians being martyred while holding their arms out in the shape of the cross. It's both a sobering reminder of the sacrifices made in defending Christ and a challenge for us to bear witness to His cross in our own lives. -- Visit the podcast website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠readthinkpray.com ⁠