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 […]
Tag: humility
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 […]
The lie behind my “yeah, but” spirituality
What attitude do I bring to the Scriptures when I read them? Is there an attentiveness to what is written? Is there an expectation to hear from God? Is there a readiness to obey? Obedience […]
Let it be
When Paul McCartney wrote The Beatles’ song “Let It Be,” he may have been thinking of his own mother Mary who died when he was 14 and not the the mother of Jesus, but he […]
The humbling path of growing old
As I watch my parents in their twilight years, I think about the inevitability of my own impending elder age. At 50, I’m still in fairly good shape physically, but I know the decline is […]
Captain America & the problem of power
When the first Avengers movie hit the theaters, some pointed out that the devastation depicted in it to New York City was worse than that of 9/11. The good guys did more damage than terrorists. It was […]
Psalm 131 — from ambition to contentment
I am an ambitious person, with hopes and dreams for myself. I am a true American, pursuing my own happiness. My heart isn’t quiet. It’s in turmoil, boiling with my ambitions. Unsettled by my striving, […]
Some civility, please!
Last night, my daughter showed me a meme comparing Donald Trump to Adolph Hitler. On one hand, it was a pointed critique of some truly disturbing rhetoric by him. On the other hand, it was […]
Psalm 113 — The greatness of God is made greater in his humble generosity
Reading Psalm 113 surprised me. There seemed to be an abrupt shift from its beginning — where it talks about the magnificence of God — and its end. Here’s the psalm in its entirety: 1 […]
What do you do when you're an arrogant arse?
I have the ability to be a self-righteous, pompous jerk. I am accomplished at treating other as if they are less intelligent than I am. This is no pleasant thing to think about. So, I tend […]
Is my God really just my dog?
I love my dog. Ebony comes when I call her. She goes to her bed when I tell her to. She’s always excited to see me. She does tricks when I offer her a treat […]
When it's time to stop — President Obama, Bob Marley, and the gift of Sabbath keeping
“People who are trying to make this world worse are not taking the day off. Why should I?” — President Obama quoting Bob Marley It sounds like a great argument — not taking a day […]