Learning to Speak God from Scratch
Sacred words are becoming a dying language, according to Jonathan Merritt. But in the words of Monty Python, they are “not dead yet” and we can revive them. Words matter. As I writer, I believe [...]
Where is God? A lesson from bulbs
“Where is God in this mess?” “Does God even hear my prayers?” In my work as a pastor, I hear these kinds of questions a lot. And in some of the situations where I sit [...]
A springtime gift for your soul: Sabbath
Winter seems unwilling to yield to spring here in the Midwest, and I know we all feel weary. A month ago, my crocuses bloomed. Crocuses This week, we're getting snow. Check out this [...]
The “crisis” in the blogosphere
According to Christianity Today, as a spiritual blogger, speaker and author, I’m part of a “crisis in the church.” I agree there's a crisis, but I disagree on what exactly that crisis entails. Me, [...]
Meeting Jesus at the dollar store
True confession: I don’t love shopping at this store. It’s kind of well, cheap—but I guess that’s the point. Sparse, utilitarian. Countless items, each a dollar. I’ve been here (and at Goodwill) more in the [...]
Embracing inconvenience and finding GodSpace
#wewelcomerefugees I’d seen the hashtag. #wewelcomerefugees I knew my friend Jane did some work with refugees. I’d written about them (in books and blog posts and also for Christianity Today), even had a refugee family [...]
Back on My Feet offers a path out of homelessness
My daughter skillfully navigates her Toyota through the dark, wet streets of downtown Los Angeles. It’s 5:30 a.m. and we are on our way to a run. “The area we are going, Skid Row, is [...]
Now, more than ever, we must show the world what Jesus followers really are
Two days ago, America elected a racist, misogynist, Islamophobic, homophobic bully who brags about assaulting women. According to shocked analysts, eighty-one percent of evangelical voters supported him. The word evangelical has lost its meaning. It [...]
Trail running in the dark
I park across the road from the entrance to the forest preserve. A few moments later, I am crossing the road with two of my friends to walk past the gate, which is still closed [...]
Darkness that lets us see the light
Part of me did not want to go to church. Another part of me longed for it, in a shaky, hungry sort of way. The hunger won out. At The Practice, the gathering we attend [...]
