Silencing the Soul

Where You and I are set apart, in the chapel of my heart.

We carry within us a world of unrelenting noise. This never ending stream of regrets, ambitions, hopes, and fears is so pervasive it’s hard to imagine our lives without it. Though we may experience unexpected moments of inner silence and peace, we usually presume they’re too infrequent and random to count on. Surprisingly, however, such times often leave us so impacted we find ourselves yearning for more and wondering if maybe . . . just maybe they don’t have to be so infrequent after all. Continue reading “Silencing the Soul”

Rediscovering the Wonder

The next several weeks of blogs will be based on our most recent animated poem, Chapel of My Heart. To see the full text or watch the video, click here.

To my room I would go; I’d talk to God and share my woes.

We live in an age when notions of “spirit” or “spirituality” are often presumed irreconcilable with a scientific (otherwise, true, real, accurate) understanding of the world. Such ideas reflect a “materialist” worldview—the belief that human life and experience are ultimately reduced to nothing more than the material effects of our molecular and chemical components. Continue reading “Rediscovering the Wonder”

Rethinking Stillness

This week we begin rethinking the meaning of stillness for our quest of a practical faith and tangible hope in 2017. In looking back over the past year, we’ve learned that a dynamic and vibrant faith must be earnestly sought; in other words, we must be desperate for God. For the last five months we’ve discussed how important the heart attitude or “posture” of spiritual brokenness is for nurturing a lifestyle of holy desperation. Now we turn to the posture of stillness. Why is such a posture so important? Continue reading “Rethinking Stillness”

Unreasonable Faith

Your will not mine is my sacrifice.

There was a time when my faith was framed in rose colored glasses. I—like many others—did not understand how important disillusionment, suffering, and delayed answers would be for healthy faith. While Christian faith normally begins when we first dedicate our lives to Christ, it is easy to forget that what took place was only just that … a beginning. On that day we began the journey of learning how to surrender our lives to Christ.  Continue reading “Unreasonable Faith”

Distracted to Death

Until I’m alive to your love once again.

Sometimes we take for granted the things we cherish most. We live with such jam-packed schedules that the time and energy needed to nurture our greatest treasures are often relegated to the margins of our calendars. Such is true of our families, friends, and even our relationship with Christ. Continue reading “Distracted to Death”

Desperate for Change

The next several weeks of blogs will be based on our most recent animated reading. To see the full text of the poem or watch the video, click here.

Change me O Lord, every part …

Just as in the voting booth so too in our personal faith … the greatest force for change begins not at the highest levels of leadership but in the hearts of ordinary people. When national change is needed we tend to look to heroes and leaders while often failing to take serious the incredible potential for change we already carry within us. The kind of change our country needs will not occur until—as Christ followers—we first become desperate for God to change us. Continue reading “Desperate for Change”