Stressed Out by Stuff
We buy more to feel better. And somehow, we end up more overwhelmed than ever. The house fills. The schedule packs. Our souls get crowded out. What if our stress isn’t just from the noise or the to-do list, but from a heart that’s too full of everything but God? Maybe freedom starts not with more, but with making space — inside and out — for what matters most.
Creation, Fall, Redemption — And Your Money
How do creation, fall and redemption shape our view of money? For Christians, money isn’t just a tool; it’s a sacred trust and a test of faith. From recognizing God’s ownership to navigating the pitfalls of greed and embracing the joy of giving, finances become a means to serve God’s purposes, calling us to steward resources wisely and generously for a greater good.
Practicing Gratitude And Optimism May Extend Your Life
Practicing gratitude and optimism might be more powerful than you think. Recent studies from Harvard show that these attitudes can contribute to a longer life, just like exercise or regular health checkups. For those of us navigating our later years, embracing a mindset of thankfulness and positivity could be as crucial as any prescription — helping to enhance not only our longevity but our quality of life as well.
Wake Up to Wonder
Wake up to wonder. Breathe in the beauty of creation as St. Francis did, and let nature’s simple marvels lead you to rediscover God’s presence in your life. From the majesty of a thunderstorm to the quiet grace of Communion, creation speaks of the Creator’s glory. Step outside, stand in the rain and let God’s handiwork take your breath away.
What Is a Collect? Learn About This Ancient Form of Prayer
Most basically, it invites us to call to mind what God has done in the past before we make our present petitions known. We remember before we request, and we look back on the faithfulness of God in the lives of others prior to welcoming the faithfulness of God in our own.
Fixed-Hour Prayer: A Different Way to Pray
In any form of prayer, there is an upward dimension of communing with God. When we pray, we “seek to communicate with the Eternal One, speaking words of adoration, confession, thanksgiving and supplication.” This is no different in fixed-hour prayer, and I would argue that in some ways, the upward dimension is enhanced by the practice.
The God We Worship: Encountering His Person
Perhaps all of us would agree that worship must be directed to God alone, for nothing else is worthy of worship. But this simple, obvious idea has far-reaching implications that we may not fully realize. To draw out these implications, we begin with an analysis of our present practice, followed by an attempt to refine the concept of worship and conclude with some suggestions for improving our worship.
Developing a Ministry of Encouragement
I don’t remember deciding I would develop a ministry of encouragement, but I do remember well the beginning of my understanding of what it meant to be encouraged. It is a memory that goes back to a rocking chair my grandmother had in her kitchen on a farm in Tennessee, a rocker I still have in my own home. I remember sitting in her lap as she rocked me many times for several years until I was old enough that my feet dragged the floor.
Swallow Your Pride And Tell The Truth — About Everything
If you become honest, yeah, you’ll lose some friends. There are folks who don’t want to associate with the imperfect. Say a prayer of thanks when they leave. Those are friends you’re better off without. Their departure is the Lord’s blessing on you. The happy paradox is that as you become real, as scary as that can be, you meet a battalion of kindred souls. Other scarred and messy people — they are legion — will be drawn to you.
Learning to Serve Like Jesus
Serving like Jesus requires that we open ourselves up to the destruction of our schedule. In the Parable of the Good Samaritan, we see the priest and the Levite cross the road to avoid the robbed man. Maybe they wanted to avoid trouble or maybe they had a legitimate place they needed to be. Either way, both of them passed up an opportunity to take care of the man lying on the side of the road. It was the Samaritan that demonstrated true love and service by allowing himself, his schedule, and his pocketbook to be disrupted.
You Might Need To Repent
Repenting isn’t about piety per se. It’s about being a healthy, self-aware human being. It simply means we possess the common sense to recognize we’re imperfect. It means that when we miss a target we don’t deny it; instead, we meet our failures head-on, look for better ways of being and change course as needed.
Relaxing Into God’s Presence
If you want to connect deeply with God, you first have to connect deeply with yourself. Do you find that idea jolting? I did the first time I encountered it. It challenges the way I’m wired.
The Slow, Sacred Work of Lament
Lament is a profoundly spiritual act because grief and loss are just as sacred as trust and celebration. It is freedom to express pain and allow love into our sorrows with us. It metabolizes grief, honoring our experiences as beings with bodies, souls and spirits.
Contemplative Prayer
In contemplation, also known as meditation, I make the decision to center my life on God. Contemplation is a time to explore my relationship with God and to begin to live out of the deepest part of my nature.
How to Experience God Outdoors
We can learn a lot about people by what they make — especially what they make for others. We can grasp the depth of their affection by the effort and care they take in the making and the beauty and utility they infuse into what’s made. When we go outdoors, into God’s own creation, we learn about him — and sometimes encounter him, too.
The Transformative Power of Art
Good art, good poetry, and true mythology communicates, without our knowing it, that life is not just a series of insulated, unrelated events. The great truths — when they can be visualized in images — reveal deep patterns, and reveal that we are a part of them.
A Day of Silence
Are you in a season of great challenge? Remember Richard Foster’s words: “The purpose of silence and solitude is to be able to see and hear. The Spirit speaks to us when our heart is still and silent before the Lord — not when we’re rushing about and doing our own thing in our own way.”
What Role Does Confession Play?
Scripture is clear: Confession is normal and necessary for followers of Jesus. It’s something many of us did spontaneously when we began following him. But it must be an ongoing thing for us, too. Why? Because we will sin anew. It’s inevitable. Therefore, we will bear new shame and want to isolate our hearts. And thus, we’ll need healing anew.
Should Community Be a Non-Negotiable?
We are meant to be together, to do life together, to be united with God and our brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ.
Entering the Story: How to Pray with Your Imagination
Entering into a gospel story with our imaginations opens us up to the work of the Holy Spirit in different ways than when we rely on our rational minds.