Attention Economy
A wandering eye brings suffering. Suffering focuses attention.
Trust
Gaslighting God
"Nothing to see here" is deception and self-deception.
Faith Becomes Sight
The good fight of faith isn't so easy.
Rescue
I practice the spiritual discipline of rescuing earthworms on paved surfaces. It's a reminder to me that I can pause what I'm doing, get a little dirty, and help. Also, that I've been given the responsibility to care.
Reasons
People say they have reasons not to follow Jesus: bad churches, hypocrisy, science, etc. Reason implies logic, and logic is the wrong starting point for Big Questions.
Forgiving Oneself
Forgiveness is about creating a space for reconciliation and healing. Sometimes we commit offenses against ourselves. We tell ourselves things God would never say. We foolishly put ourselves in harm's way, physically, emotionally, or spiritually.
Ground Cloud
The fog of suffering and injustice is disconcerting. It's confusing and disorienting. We hear sounds we can't place: accusation, condemnation, ridicule, disaffiliation, dehumanization.
Stiff-Necked and Unbowed
Being stubborn can be a good thing. The question is, who gets our allegiance?
Ways and Means
When my focus is on results, I will clamor for the biggest levers of power. But when I prioritize process, I can be free to leverage every small moment.
Our Deliverer
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Temptations, trials, and testing. The Greek word can mean all three. Jesus experienced these. And so did Stephen, Paul, and Jesus' other disciples.
Reunited
Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. The Church's project is to bear God's name faithfully. God is relational, as evident in the Trinity. Our work with God is to rectify brokenness, especially broken relationships.
Dependency
There is something we will need tomorrow when it arrives. But first, there's today. We never come entitled. But we do come dependent.