The first time we lost a baby I was confused and unsure what to think. By the fourth loss, I knew exactly what to think. [Read more…]

Ash Wednesday I boarded a plane for Mexico. I had been looking forward to this vacation for months. I was tired, and not because I had to be at the airport for 4:00 a.m. I had been tired since November. The doubt and uncertainty that had been working away at me the past few months had worn me down. A big part of the sermon series on spiritual disciplines that I just finished preaching focussed on silence, solitude, and Sabbath; but I had failed to practice what I preach (as is often the case – I’m pretty open about that struggle). So the first day of Lent I boarded a plane in desperate search for some rest, but even more so I was in search of more direction from God. [Read more…]

We have just wrapped up a six-week sermon series at my church on spiritual disciplines. I really enjoyed the task of studying various forms of spiritual exercises over the centuries, and looking closely at how Christ’s own spirituality played out for him in his day-to-day life. While one sermon looked specifically at silence as a spiritual exercise, I found the practice applicable through a number of areas; especially [Read more…]