Two Pour Spirits

As the monks tend their barley fields and ferment their yeast, they remind us that stewardship is not abstract theology but a daily, delectable act of worship—bringing creation (and a good grains) to its joyful, God-intended end. A profound practice of creation care as they shepherd grapes, grain, water, and land. They also know how to practice silence in a noisy, overstimulated world.  In this ep...

As the ancient Israelites advanced toward Canaan, during the latter phase of the exodus, be'er (בְּאֵר) served as a pivotal staging point where the people rested and received divine provision. “From there they went to Beer, the well where the LORD said to Moses, ‘Gather the people together so that I may give them water’” (Numbers 21:16). Did you know that "beer" means "well?&qu...

Being alone will give you vertigo. You'll get lost in your own head and your eyes will cease to cooperate with reality's demand. You'll probably start to enjoy blurriness. Like espousing the belief that living alone is the same thing as loneliness. Or "love" is just another word for "obsession." Wake up! We were not made for individualism and the infatuation it b...

Why don't cats ever smile? Shouldn't eggs last longer than a month? How come turkeys don't know camping etiquette? Have you ever sat there—delighting in a sip  on your coffee—only to be interrupted by robin refuse—worm, feces, dirt? How did things get so screwed up? Surely it couldn't have been by accident. The Fall is real, and we can see, hear, smell, taste, and feel it all a...

Wouldn't it be ideal and idyllic to live in a society in which we don't have any secrets? Any and all information would just float out there in the ether for the taking—even by apes, angels, and aliens. Silly mistakes could hang on drying racks for the whole world to see. Everyone would know your business, and there would be no judgment. No shame. No pity.  In this eight episode of seaso...

There's the reply guy who believes it’s innocuous but is totally being extra. And the baddie who accepted the promposal and made all the chaperones shake their heads. And the braggadocious Brad who was caught in 4K kicking that poor old man’s Buick, and then blamed it on the bruzz. Oh, and the neckbeard who, for a few chortles from his tribe, revels in rage-bait and ratcheting up online smoke...

What are eyes for? Not side eyes or Gen Z stares.  What should people be doing when they’re convalescing? Definitely not online aura farming or mukbanging. What sins and vices are more likely to pop their heads in an apartment complex than a ranch or beach house? Probably bed rotting or Rickrolling.  And what hath Alfred Hitchcock and Slavoj Žižek have to do with negative neighboring? Literally ....

Maybe we're all here just figuring it out based on curiosity and piquancy. I could have been an NBA star but chose to be a writer instead. You could have been a model but got sidetracked tinkering with mechanical engineering. Orrrrr: Maybe we all have callings. Maybe there are things we are supposed to do in life. And maybe God designed us for them. And that's what we have to figure out....

"What they did to you— that ? That deserves to be buried for the entirety of your life. For eternity, in fact. God was definitely absent. You have to flush those memories down the porcelain of the abyss. Don't remember those experiences. They will haunt you. Escape your past. Hide the hurt. And whatever you do, don't give them another chance." That's the sin talking.  In t...

How do you practice patience when it seems like everything is in flux? How can you believe in control when you only experience the rush of life? Can relationships actually be patched together and made whole again, or is it all merely psychological bandaging? Is there a silver lining to things, or are we all just doping ourselves with false hope? And what does all this mean for our interactions wit...

What does a Christian do with loss, change, and failure? When it seems like permanence is fleeting and the stability of your efforts is slipping through your finger tips, what do you say to yourself? Or when the veneer of everything glamorous is rotting or getting rusty, what do you say to your neighbor? What do you do when grey seems like the new gold? How do you have hope? In this second episode...

We talk like Thrasos but we deserve to be treated like hooligans–the miscreants we have become. And yet He’s gracious. And kind. All the time. His generosity is undeserved, and yet we see it everywhere. It’s in the little things like oxygen, idyllic landscapes, and a baby’s smile. It’s also in the big stuff like protecting us from meteor showers and restraining the zombie apocalypse.  In this firs...

We all want to be naked. We want to stand before our spouses, parents, strangers, enemies, and our God and not feel guilt or shame. To be nepheshly exposed, and find comfort in the authenticity, honesty, integrity, and hospitality of it all. That's because the origin, condition, and destiny of all creatures is communion with others and life in everlasting community.  In this season three fina...

How you sit, stand, lay, jump, and walk in public spaces and buildings is significant. We know this. And those feigned smiles and side eyes aren't salubrious. You know that, too.  But did you know that when you act all salty and sulk, you're actually sinning? Yeah— and you're ruining the Life of the party. So stop doing it. Have a good demeanor. It's a Christian's duty.  I...

Half-dressed girls on billboards. Low-rise jeans on models at Abercrombie and Fitch. Nude beaches still around. There's no doubt about it—there's a lot of skin being shown these days. Not to mention, the rampant sensuality, salacious marketing, and provocative and promiscuous clothing being produced and promoted. We've gotten a little too cavalier with our clavicles.  In this episod...

Don't deny it—we all do it.  We exaggerate the sins of our enemies. We overbear their faults and unnecessarily seek to discover any and every infirmity that they possess. And then we accentuate these malfeasances (cf. Genesis 9:22): "See! This is what they always do! Aren't they the worst?" And we double down for our tribe. Even if it means fudging with the truth, practicing em...

When we go out in public, we take our mouths and tongues with us. We can't leave those at home. Unfortunately, some people talk in public like they are at home—in the man cave, with the good ol' college buddies, throwing out obscenities and profanities at the top of their lungs. All the while, the twin cousins who just turned four can hear everything. Come on, dude.  In this episode, Chr...

The road wasn't put there for you to get to Whole Foods. It’s a thoroughfare for everyone to travel. You have your routes and routines, sure, but so does the next guy. You got to share the street. And you might even do it like a Christian—by blessing others. In the lane itself, across the median, and even on the shoulder. Just deliver those blessings around the clock. Even on holidays. Especi...

Get your legs out of the aisle, you're going to trip grandpa! Read your boarding pass before you get on the plane so you don't congest everything. Keep your sneakers on—nobody wants to be sniffing those nasty, reeky socks! Put your seat back up—the plane hasn't even lifted off yet! And fall asleep on your pillow this time, not my shoulder. Please and thank you.  In this episode, Chr...

It's fair to say most Christians know how to use their hands. They raise them in worship, help grannies with their groceries, and shovel their in-laws' driveway. But handfuls of Christians turn pagan when they promenade in public. They don't know how to use their feet in the thoroughfare. It's so bad, they really should add "and forgive us for trespassing and stepping on o...

Our roads and highways are designed and governed with a particular end in sight. A metaphysics, with a telos , if you will. Everything matters—placement, movement, speed, and focus. Each aspect contributes to either the opening of the majestic floodgates of celestial bliss or the ushering in of the flaming brimstone of the infernal regions. Simply put: your steering is either salvific or satanic....

One has beer, the other has popcorn. One aims at stimulation, the other makes you soporific. One has bleachers, the other padded seats. One calls forth engagement, the other demands silence. One rolls out the carpet for the spectator, the other screams "only auditors welcome here!" Knowing the difference between the two will lead you to love or hate your neighbor.  In this episode, Chris...

Must you always act like Uncle Screwtape in the aisle? Do you have to storm the register like an ogre, or steal that parking spot with unconscionable disregard? There's cutters and those obnoxiously chatting away on their phone as they pick up every item of produce. And those who are convinced grocery carts are bumper cars. We get it. But a trip to Brooks Brothers shouldn't end in mortal...

Mothers give the talk beforehand ("don't touch  a  n  y  t  h  i  n  g"). When inside, we tiptoe. We're shocked when we walk into one that isn't reprehensibly hideous. We're surprised when it smells good. But we avoid the ones at the park like the plague, and for good reason: No doubt about it, there's an arachnid setting up shop behind that porcelain. They are p...

When the presumptuous dad “looks up” while pushing his daughter on the swing, it isn't an innocuous glance. It's a glare meant to jab the jugular. When the NY Giants fan acts like he's in his man cave, he ends up inebriated and getting into fist fights with complete strangers. Not good. Dads don't have a share in municipal metals. And there is more to the game than just the gam...