It’s time to look back — or more accurately, listen back — on my favorite music releases of 2023. As always, I’m moved by the music created by so many people. There is no end […]
Category: Faith
The Hamas invasion and Psalm 137
The reports from Israel have been horrific. On Oct. 7, 2023, invaders from the Hamas organization had penetrated the state of the art defenses of Israel. They had attacked some military targets, but much of […]
Happy Angel Day
Get out the mixer and make yourself some angel food cake. It’s Angel Day today. In the liturgical calendar, it’s referred to as Michaelmas — kinda like Christmas, but with a mass in honor of […]
Reason to pray #37: To be silent in our noisy world
In the empty time between laying down and sleeping, Let the silence go deep, Sounding out and searching your heart. (Everyday Psalms, Psalm 4, page 11) In an old black and white episode of the […]
Reason to pray #36: To honor and care for civic leaders
Make the king wise, Thoughtful, Discerning. Make our ruler righteous, Deciding what’s best for the people, Providing for your poor, God. Let peace and freedom ring From every mountainside And justice From every hill and […]
Reason to pray #29: To articulate our hopes and dreams
We were like giddy dreamers Whose dreams had actually come true. (Everyday Psalms, Psalm 126, page 297) OK, let’s be honest here. Most of our hopes and dreams tend to be pretty small and self-centered. […]
Reason to pray #28: To discover what it is we really want, separating it from what we crave
But even more than that, I desire this: To see your face. When I wake up from this nightmare, It’s your face I will see. I will be so completely satisfied, Every other desire will […]
The best books I read in 2022
This year was a big year for reading and listening to books. I made my way through 160 books in 2022. Yep. A lot. Everything from Shakespeare to Diary of a Wimpy Kid books. So […]
My favorite albums of 2022
As I’ve said before, ranking art is not only meaningless, it is a violation. Art cannot be quantified. Beauty contests know nothing of beauty, only of contests. Ranking art reduces it to an industrial product. […]
Reflections on “Consume No Plastic Week”
I’ve set aside a week as Consume No Plastic Week. Here’s my progress report. OK. It’s really hard to avoid buying or using plastic. Ridiculously hard. Our society is built on a foundation of plastic. […]
Consume No Plastic Week — Aug. 21-27
Plastic is ubiquitous. It’s everywhere, infiltrating every aspect of our lives. Pick up a pen. It’s plastic. Open up a cereal box. Inside the cereal is packaged in plastic. Get a cup of coffee at […]
The generosity of nature & the nature of generosity
Three feet above me, perched atop a ponderosa pine branch, squats a chipmunk no taller than my thumb. She embraces a pinecone slightly larger than herself. With nimble twists and turns and rapid flurries of […]
Longevity and completeness
I feel my mortality. Perhaps it’s my job. I see lots of death. There’s really no getting around it as a hospital chaplain. Perhaps it’s my age. Hitting my 50s has coincided with the death […]
Life is a role-playing game
Online gaming has brought a whole new life to the role-playing games I knew growing up. Back in the early 1980s, Dungeons and Dragons had an air of mystique and a reputation of leading unsuspecting […]
Does Psalm 91 over-promise of protection?
I hadn’t seen my sister Joy for more than a few minutes the previous Christmas. My wife and our infant son had arrived an hour before she and her family had to leave to spend […]
“My body, my choice”
For many years, the phrase “My body, my choice” has been the mantra of the pro-choice camp in the abortion wars. It’s encapsulated the belief that no one should be able to tell a woman […]
Pete’s top ten (er, dozen) albums of 2021
The best new music released in 2021 that had my record player and my head spinning are often outside of the mainstream. But I’m me and I like what I like. So here they are […]
God is inconvenient
Faith is not a matter of convenience. If anything, the demands God makes on our lives are quite inconvenient. And yes, God does make demands. God doesn’t just ask, he commands me to forgive people […]
Covid, contempt, and meat sacrificed to idols
I work in a hospital and see people dying of COVID-19 on a regular basis. As I write, roughly half of the patients in our hospital are there because of serious symptoms caused by the […]
Time for the moon & time for God
My daughter and I were having a conversation about solar and lunar calendars. Yes, I know. It’s an odd topic for conversation. But don’t most of our best conversations have their odd elements and strange […]
Ready Player Two & the resurrection of the body
First this: There will be a major spoiler for the book Ready Player Two (sequel to Ready Player One, as if you couldn’t tell) by Ernest Cline in this post. If you don’t want the […]
Waiting for a Covid vaccine & waiting for Jesus
As a kid, I couldn’t wait for Christmas. I ached for it to arrive. Growing up in Southern California, we didn’t get snow like we do where I live now in Bend, Oregon. But in […]
A better dad than I am
Like all dads, I make my fair share of mistakes. I try my best with my kids, but I am quite far from perfect. But despite my imperfect parenting, I think I’m a pretty good […]
In the morning & in the mourning
Almost every night for the past two and a half years, I put my Dad to bed. We did the same thing every night. After visiting with one another for a while, it’d be bedtime. […]
The holes we leave behind
We all leave holes behind when we die. But not all holes are good holes. Some are more like bullet holes, gaping wounds that scar over badly. But as I look at the holes my […]
Revenge!
Of all the superhero movies churned out over the last two decades, the ones arising from the Marvel Cinematic Universe have dominated. And the centerpiece of those movies is a band of characters who call […]
A Sabbath perspective
“Frank is mowing his lawn! He’s breaking the Sabbath!” My son was just five years old at the time and scandalized by our neighbor’s flagrant disregard for observing the Sabbath command. His dismay mirrors most […]
The three-step process to justice
We are living during a time where there are repeated calls for justice. That’s good, but it’s not enough. And I’m worried that the current emotional fervor will be wasted and the opportunity lost for […]
1 Peter 5
A side note to church leaders. I write to you as a fellow leader, as one who saw firsthand the sufferings of the anointed king of the world, and as one who will get in […]
1 Peter 4 (a rendering)
Since even the anointed king of the world suffered physically, you need to prepare yourself for the same and think like he did. Going the way of suffering like that means you’ve chosen not to […]
1 Peter 3
Thinking and acting in the same way, wives don’t fight with your husbands. Not-fighting is the key to “winning.” And the goal here is that unbelieving husbands would be won over. It’s your beautiful and […]
1 Peter 2 (a rendering)
So take a look inside yourselves and toss out everything with a hint of malice, deception, hypocrisy, envy, and slander. All of it. Babies are satisfied by one and only one thing: milk. Be like […]
1 Peter 1 (a rendering)
From Peter, specially sent by Jesus the anointed king of the world. To God’s hand-picked people. Even though you are aliens and exiles scattered all over the place (Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia), God […]
Where is God when I lose?
My son had been practicing the Mozart piano concerto for three months. He’d put hundreds of hours into it. But when it came time for the competition, he made just a few mistakes. But they […]
Social distancing & the call to holiness
We’ve been in a weird time where our culture has required us to separate ourselves from one another. At the same time, we’ve been incredibly focused on cleanliness. As a hospital chaplain, I wander all […]
The necessary violence of God
I like me the idea of pacifism and especially a nonviolent God. But human pacifism is impossible with a nonviolent God. Too many people have a theology centered on a God who cannot cause pain. […]
The in-between
Between the cross and the empty tomb Are the hours Of a strange Sabbath, A brutal pause, A death-filled rest, A peace-less peace. This is where we live our lives: One long Holy Saturday, Where […]
Empty
Emptiness echoes everywhere. I walk hospital halls Empty of visitors, Passing rooms Empty of patients Who have delayed their operations Till better days. I pass by parks With yellow taped play structures Empty of children, […]
The undivided heart
Double-minded. A divided heart. Conflicting interests. A double life. These are some of the worst accusations the Scriptures and our culture can make against us. Saying one thing and doing another is evidence of a […]
Praying when the legal system is a mess
It was Bring Your Dad to School Day and the little elementary school girl was so excited to introduce her father and tell the class what he does for work. “My Dad is a public […]
Praying for a good leader for the nation
During an election year, there’s no psalm that’s more relevant than Psalm 72, a prayer for a good leader for the nation. In every place around the world and in every era, there has been […]
The prayer of a maturing faith (Ps 71)
I’m actually enjoying getting older. Sure, there are some new creases on my face and I’m not the athlete I was before. Sure, I get tired earlier and forget things easier. But I’m less anxious, […]
To the pain
There are just a few perfect movies out there and The Princess Bride is one of them. Immensely quotable, a former roommate recorded the audio from the movie and listened to it over and over and […]
Why pray? 33 reasons why I pray
A friend recently asked the question, “Why do we pray?” I’m not sure what was behind the question, but I decided to take it seriously. If we’re honest, there are times when praying feels […]
Among haters
She defined her life by her enemies. And I watched her move from one to the next and the next. As her pastor, I had a front row seat to it all. First, there were […]
Psalm 51 & the importance of confession
I’m a mess. Sometimes, I’m a major mess. Most of the time, I’m a minor mess. But there’s always a mess. Sin is a problem. It always has been, always will be. Likewise, confession has […]
I blew it again! (or, Psalm 85 and the restored life)
There are times when I get down on myself, having blow it yet again, doing the same stupid thing one more time. I forgot to pick up my son from school for the tenth time. […]
Even here — Psalm 57 and the unexpected presence of God
Some corners of culture, some places, some people seem both godless and god-forsaken. Some parts of our lives feel either fenced-off from God or ignored by our Maker. A quick look at the news or […]
Deepen your prayer life
Doing the work on Everyday Psalms: Ancient Prayers in Everyday Language was one of the greatest prayer experiences of my life. I’m excited to share it with you that it might be a good companion […]
2020 vision: What will actually happen during the next decade
Year endings and decade endings have people looking backward and forward at the same time. There’s something arbitrary about our calendars. And yet, we all use them and they shape the way we live our […]
Rahab transformed & the birth of Jesus
When it comes time for Advent, the season of waiting in preparation for the coming of Jesus, we generally go back to the same passages in Luke and Matthew to retell the story. But when […]
Farewell, Miranda Harris
I was shocked to hear of the death of Miranda Harris, along with Chris and Susanna Naylor. Miranda founded A Rocha with her husband Peter more than three decades ago and Chris has been A […]
Counting our days
I think about my death a lot. I imagine what it might be like to be on my death bed, so weak I need a machine to breathe for me. I wonder who might gather […]
Re-meeting Jesus with 20 teenagers
I spent three weeks this summer studying the Gospel of Mark with 20 teenagers. They were a great group and our conversations, as we meditated on every word and story in Mark, led to some […]
Betray your political party
It’s already betraying you.
The most basic prayer we ever pray
Opening prayer Here I am, Lord. I want to be fully present to you — all of me faced toward you, oriented toward you — so that I might fully engage with you. Be fully […]
Living among Samaritans
Opening prayer Lord, I find myself unsettled by the people around me. I don’t like their politics. I don’t like their practices. Most of the time, I just put up with it. But sometimes, I […]
Journey with Jesus 8 — As one with authority (Mark 1:21-22)
“Why should anyone listen to you? What authority do you have?” The questions hung over me and I had no answer, so I just sat there in silence. John Zimmerman, my preaching professor, sat across […]
Journey with Jesus 7 — Fishing for people (Mark 1:16-20)
When I was a kid, there was a group of boys on our short, dead-end street who would play together. Among the many outdoor games we’d play was, of course, follow the leader. And Greg Smith […]
Journey with Jesus 6 — New maps (Mark 1:14-15)
The first time I went to San José State University, it wasn’t there. I was a new student and had been given a time to come by the college to register for classes. I didn’t […]
Journey with Jesus 5 — Loved into the desert (Mark 1:5-8)
Halfway through the exercise, a thought ran through my mind over and over again: “I don’t need this. Why am I doing this to myself? I hate this. I’m done.” And on that day, I […]
Journey with Jesus 4 — Baptized (Mark 1:4-8)
I grew up in a Christian tradition that holds to believer baptism, rejecting infant baptism. While I think there are valid arguments for both forms of baptism which both sides should consider, that wasn’t an […]
Journey with Jesus 2 — Scrubbed & refined (Mark 1:2-3)
One of my favorite musical works is the sublime Messiah by George Friedrich Handel. When I was in college, I listened to numerous recordings of it before buying two different versions: Antal Dorati’s clean and complete […]
Journey with Jesus 1 — Good news (Mark 1:1)
Before we run, we walk. Before we walk, we crawl. And so our journey with Jesus in the Gospel of Mark starts with just one verse. Don’t worry, the pace will pick up. But it’s […]
Living and praying the Gospel of Mark
I want to spend some time soaking in the Gospel of Mark. I need to spend some time with Jesus and I know of no better way than to read his story and listen to […]
Farewell, Gordy
The day after we lost Jan Peterson, we lost Charles Gordon Strom, a father figure to me whose influence at a pivotal time in my life has left an indelible mark. My first encounters with […]
Farewell, Jan
On May 10, 2019, our friend Jan Peterson died, joining her husband and my mentor, Eugene Peterson, just seven months after his death. Jan lived much of the last three decades of her life in […]
(Piano interlude)
I know this is a bit self-indulgent, but I have to share this video of my son’s piano concerto. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised. Enjoy! https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jTPSsJ5E-9k
Psalm 119 (G is for Zayin)
A rendering of the seventh stanza of Psalm 119, where each verse starts with the Hebrew letter zayin (verses 49-56). A further exploration into hearing the Voice of God.
Psalm 119 (F is for Waw)
A rendering of the sixth stanza of Psalm 119, where each verse starts with the Hebrew letter was (verses 41-48). A further exploration into hearing the Voice of God.
Psalm 119 (H is for Heth)
A rendering of Psalm 119:57-64 (each verse starting with the Hebrew letter Heth), which continues an immersion into a life lived in response to the Voice of God.
Psalm 119 (E is for He)
A rendering of Psalm 119:33-40 (each verse starting with the Hebrew letter He), which continues an immersion into a life lived in response to the Voice of God.
The time my dog taught me about unconditional love
My family has a dog named Daisy. Daisy is an 85-pound German Shepherd our family got six years ago. Even though we have only had her for six years, it’s hard for me to remember […]
Psalm 119 (N is for Nun)
A rendering of the 14th stanza of Psalm 119, where each verse starts with the Hebrew letter nun. Here, the psalmist pushes through rejection by the cultured haters of faith.
Psalm 119 (D is for Daleth)
A rendering of Psalm 119:25-32 (each verse starting with the Hebrew letter daleth), which continues an immersion into a life lived in response to the Voice of God.
Misplaced trust
My son and I finished our morning exercise routine and I was not feeling well. It wasn’t the normal exhaustion from pushing ourselves. It was my back. And it only got worse as the day […]
Psalm 101
A rendering of Psalm 101, which sees what’s wrong in the world around but then looks inward — to home life and what the eyes look at — to seek change.
Psalm 71
A rendering of Psalm 71, which looks for God’s help in current trouble and envisions the party after rescue comes.
600 and counting!
As we finish the first month of 2019, we’ve hit another milestone: 600 blog posts. When I started, I had no idea that we’d get to that many. But you kept reading and encouraging me […]
Psalm 84
(Worship leader: A Korah family psalm to be playing on that guitar from Gath.) The sweetest place on earth Is your house, Yahweh of heaven’s armies. My soul longs, Famished, Ravenous For the place where […]
Pinned under a truck
“Help! Help! Please, help!” she cried as she ran through the snow toward our car. I had seen the headlights of a vehicle tipped on its side about 20 feet from the small highway road […]
Psalm 38
(A David psalm, a desperate prayer.) Anger isn’t what I need right now, Yahweh. A hard word and a frowning face Just might push me over the edge, My covenant-keeping God. Blood seeps from arrow […]
Psalm 57
A rendering of Psalm 57, an exquisite David poem of worship written in the middle of terrible circumstances.
Psalm 56
A rendering of Psalm 56, a David poem when God got him out of an impossible situation.
Psalm 55
A rendering of Psalm 55, an anguished prayer in response to the betrayal of a close friend.
Psalm 54
A rendering of Psalm 54, a brief David poem from when his back was up against the wall and a seemingly safe hiding place was uncovered by informers, putting him on the run again.
Advent calendar – a poem
Each day, a door opens, Revealing a hidden piece of chocolate, A tiny taste Of something sweet That whets the appetite For the Christmas feast to come. They are like cheap plastic cups In communion trays, […]
Psalm 42
Like a dog At an empty water dish, Parched, That’s me, So terribly thirsty For God. My soul is dehydrated, Chapped and cracked, Empty of God — The bubbling, Refreshing, Life-giving God. Where can I go […]
Psalm 40
A rendering of Psalm 40, where David remembers God’s faithfulness in the past and asks for it again in his current problem.
Psalm 36
A rendering of Psalm 36, which compares a life lived without God to a life immersed in God’s life and love.
Psalm 32
A rendering of Psalm 32, a David psalm, combining prayer and earned wisdom, stemming from confessed sin after a time of foolishly hiding it.
Psalm 31
A rendering of Psalm 31, a psalm in the midst of shame and anxiety that finds hope and shame’s cure in God’s faithfulness.
Psalm 27
A rendering of Psalm 27, a prayer in the darkness, resetting the imagination from fear to God.
Psalm 26
A rendering of Psalm 26, a prayer for vindication when falsely accused.
Psalm 24
(A David psalm.) The earth is Yahweh’s. Everything in it is his: The dry land And all the people on it. He made it secure In the midst of chaos; He firmly established it, Even […]
Psalm 20
(For the worship leader. A David psalm.) May Yahweh answer your prayer of distress. May you be protected by the authority of Jacob’s God. May your worship lead to his help. May support flow from […]
Psalm 10
A rendering of Psalm 10, which calls on God to deal with the bullies and abusers who think he won’t hold them to account.
Hey readers, I need your feedback
I have finished writing a book on the first 50 psalms that is currently being looked at by a publisher. But I’ve been asked to add my own renderings of each of the psalms. So, […]
