Lent is an especially holy time of the year for me because it is in these six weeks that I find myself drawing closer and closer to Jesus. We know what’s coming. The cross looms ahead. Rather than shake my head in despair, I draw closer to Jesus. It is precisely this time of year that I realize I need something more. My will power is not enough. New year’s resolutions have come and gone. The hum of…
Ask God to bless everyone who mistreats you. Ask him to bless them and not to curse them. When others are happy, be happy with them, and when they are sad, be sad. Be friendly with everyone. Don’t be proud and feel that you are smarter than others. Make friends with ordinary people. Romans 12:14-16 (CEV) I really liked playing sports when I was growing up. I was on swim team, soccer, and basketball teams. I don’t know what it…
Submission to Modern Metanoia for Ash Wednesday. In the past, when I have read this passage, I have struggled. I struggle with it because there’s a lot of talk about treasure and when I think about treasure, I can’t help but imagine pirates. I’m pretty sure that when Jesus was teaching on this subject, he wasn’t imagining a famous ride at a theme park or the near-billion US dollar grossing movie franchise we all know so well today. Because…
Have you ever tried to make a mud pie without water? Now, I'm not talking about that decadent dessert served with knife and fork. I'm talking ooey gooey mud pie shared from one hand to another, slapped together with a satisfying smack, adorned with rocks and sticks and stones, and left with a quiet shake to dry on the curbside. You can't make it without water. You can't make it without embracing the muck. You can't have fun…
There are some things you never really know until you experience it. You may hear the stories, be moved with inspiration and hope, grow in curiosity, but unless you actually live it you will never really know what it is really about. Most of life is filled with this draw, this pull, into experience. What is life if it is not lived? When we walk the way of Christ, we are drawn into experience. We are not given…
I have always considered myself a forgiving person. I grew up in a Lutheran household with a Lutheran Pastor as my father. We regularly discussed grace, the Trinity, and all sorts of theological ideas. Even with this foundation, the personal experience of grace and forgiveness remains indescribably life changing. I experienced one such definitive moment during the first summer that I worked at Advent. Twenty-six youth, an adult leader, and I were enjoying a week on Lake Shasta.…