How do we live wisely and well? What is the good life? The fulfilling life? What is our best life? This is the domain of motivational speakers, of life coaches, of self-help gurus, and any number of peddlers of worldly wisdom. I don’t want to disparage these teachers. I think most of them mean … Continue reading Pray to Live Wisely And Well: Psalm 1
prayer
National Day of Prayer – Prayer for Ministers and their Families
I was invited by the local organizers of the Cincinnati National Day of Prayer to offer a prayer for "Ministers and their Families" during this year's observation. Sadly, the event was rained out. Here is the prayer I prepared, offered now as an online prayer of the heart. National Day of Prayer 2018 For … Continue reading National Day of Prayer – Prayer for Ministers and their Families
If You Would Be Truly Free, Then Learn The Skill Of Forgiveness
Forgiveness isn’t an art. It’s a skill. It’s an essential skill for your mental wellbeing and your spiritual growth. If you don’t learn to forgive, you will stunt your spiritual growth - you’ll stay prisoner to resentment or ill feeling. When you learn to forgive, you experience deep growth in grace and you get a … Continue reading If You Would Be Truly Free, Then Learn The Skill Of Forgiveness
What I Learned From The Time I Didn’t Pray
Our church secretary, Bonnie, knocked on the doorframe and poked her head into my office: “Pastor, I just wanted to let you know that there’s a woman in the sanctuary. She said she just got diagnosed with skin cancer, and she needed someplace to come and pray.” “Does she want to speak with me?” I … Continue reading What I Learned From The Time I Didn’t Pray
What is Christian Spirituality?
People ask very good questions. Yesterday, one of our congregation members emailed me, asking, “How would you characterize Christian spirituality?” There are libraries on this subject, degree programs requiring years of study, and licensed practitioners of “spiritual formation.” Christian literature abounds with books by the giants of spiritual formation: Anthony of the Desert, Saint Benedict, … Continue reading What is Christian Spirituality?
The National Day of Prayer 2014
Today is the National Day of Prayer. Christians are gathering all across the country to pray for their communities. Here in Cincinnati, we offer a noontime service on the steps of the county courthouse. I was invited to offer the invocation at the start of the service. Below is the text of that invocation: Lord, we call … Continue reading The National Day of Prayer 2014
You Are Not Abandoned. Here’s How I Know.
There are times when we are so worn down, so tired, so demoralized, that we have no idea what to say to God. At these times, we may not even be sure that God is there. If we had the energy we would shout. If we had the energy we might cry out with the … Continue reading You Are Not Abandoned. Here’s How I Know.
Pray Like A Jazz Soloist – It’ll Set You Free
When I was a child, prayer came naturally. Like most children, I just spoke with God. But then I became a sophisticated teenager. Relationships suddenly became vast forests of mystery and complex interactions. Every conversation was pregnant with both pitfalls and opportunities. I discovered, as we all do when we leave childhood behind, that people … Continue reading Pray Like A Jazz Soloist – It’ll Set You Free
These 4 Books Helped Me Discover New Depths Of Prayer
I’ll confess it; prayer is difficult. After hearing the carefully crafted prayers of professional religionists, I used to despair, thinking “I’ll never be able to talk like that.” Then, I became one of those professional religionists, and that didn’t make it better. I felt like people expected neo-Shakespearian prose from me when I prayed. I … Continue reading These 4 Books Helped Me Discover New Depths Of Prayer
A Fresh Look at Prayer
Prayer is not optional. Neither is prayer a strategy. Prayer is so much more than the obligatory nod in God’s direction at the beginning of meals, meetings, and events. While God would have us bring our burdens to Him (Psalm 55:22), he would also have our prayers be more than about our burdens. While Jesus … Continue reading A Fresh Look at Prayer
Horizons of the Possible 