Category: Faith

The Mystery of Happiness

And still I cry, “Change me, change me, change me.”

I believe the vast majority of unhappiness and disillusionment among Christians can usually be traced to one common yet thoroughly un-interrogated assumption—happiness comes from getting what we want. While such logic seems sound it’s utterly contradictory to Christian faith because it lead us to think that Jesus is good for saving our souls but his blessings are needed for our happiness. In so doing, we separate the blessings of Christ from the person of Christ. Continue reading “The Mystery of Happiness”

Unveiling the Eyes of Faith

A world within a world slips into sight . . . .

Few things strengthen Christian faith more than seeing God at work in one’s life. Likewise, few things weaken faith more than failing to recognize such divine activity. Spiritual vision is so vital for Christian faith that I don’t think it is possible to overemphasize its importance. Yet, such vision does not come without a cost. For most of us, we pay through the sacrifice of stillness. Continue reading “Unveiling the Eyes of Faith”

Remembering Stillness, Reclaiming Silence

Awkward silence succumbs to comfortable quietness.

I love stillness. When I find it and remain there long enough it changes me. When before I had been anxious, I there find peace. When previously confused, I then find clarity. When I enter with discouragement, I leave with hope. I have reaped so many blessings from this humble little gift. Continue reading “Remembering Stillness, Reclaiming Silence”

New Thinking, New Faith

The next several weeks of blogs will be based on the animated reading posted last week. To see the full text of Kairos or watch the video, click here.

Troubled traveler seeking solutions – thoughts racing, heart pounding, body exhausted.

I thought my world was caving in and I feared my sanity was starting to crumble. My normal ways of coping were failing and I was losing control of my life. So I retreated to the one place where I had always found solace in difficult times past—the wooded outdoors. Only this time it was different . . . very different. In Kairos, I try to capture a sense of this unexpected divine encounter and its impact upon my life. Continue reading “New Thinking, New Faith”

Animated Reading: Kairos

This week we launch our eighth animated reading. The next five weeks of blog posts will draw from themes in this poem.  If you like the video, please share with others.

Kairos

Troubled traveler seeking solutions –

Thoughts racing, heart pounding, noisy life’s

Questions demanding answers, body exhausted. Continue reading “Animated Reading: Kairos”

The Transforming Fires of Disappointment

Then we will laugh and joyfully sing as we dance on the ground of this ruinous drawing.

Like it or not, disappointment plays an important role in our journey of faith. Our reaction to disappointment offers a window into the quality of our devotion to God. It reveals how committed we actually are while dispelling inaccurate ideas of a more unwavering faith. Unfortunately, in our zeal to follow Jesus we often profess a kind of surrender we really don’t yet know very much about. But how can we? This is the way of faith. Our growth is progressive. Continue reading “The Transforming Fires of Disappointment”

The Necessity of Conviction

We must always take heart and never despair when houses fall down and castles collapse.

We live in a world where seeing is believing. Reality is physically tangible . . . molecules and particles, and that’s all. To base one’s life on anything else is simply nonsense . . . so we’re told. In many ways we are culturally predisposed against Christian faith and a worldview that has anything to do with spirituality. Yet, here we are, confessors of a faith that asks us to surrender our lives to a God we can’t see and to forsake a life devoted to pleasures and personal gain that surround us every day. Continue reading “The Necessity of Conviction”

When Faith Feels Unwarranted

His hammer of mercy came crashing right down.

Many people who yearn for a deeper and more relevant faith often fail to realize such hopes because of their inability to reconcile their faith with their experiences of suffering and loss. Suffering strikes at the heart of our faith because we wonder how God would possibly allow such affliction upon those who’ve trusted him with their lives.  If we’re not careful, this question of theodicy (why an all-powerful and all-loving God allows suffering) will literally strangle our faith. Continue reading “When Faith Feels Unwarranted”

Facing the Illusion of Control

The next several weeks of blogs will be based on our most recent animated reading, “A Ruinous Drawing.” Click here to see the full text and here to watch the video.

I used to be fine, strong and secure.

The “illusion of control” is the propensity to overestimate our ability to control life events. It presumes that given enough resources, patience, and understanding we can craft the kind of life we desire. Scripture, however says something very different about the nature of control: “The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps” (Proverbs 16:9). Continue reading “Facing the Illusion of Control”