Jesus at 2AM - A Humorous, Intelligent Look at the Bible, Church History & the Life of Faith

What do we say when the beauty and goodness of life takes our breath away? We've all had the experience of such awe and wonder that we are reduced to stunned silence. We reach for our cameras to capture it our phones to record it. We may later turn to painting or sculpture or music […]

There is nothing harder for me to bring to God than guilt – real guilt. Not the shame of a minor offense or trivial wrong-doing. But the guilt of one who has transgressed very badly, who has clearly overstepped the bound of righteousness love. In those times when I know that I am guilty and possess no defense, […]

Often our most desperate hours are marked by a fundamental sense of disorientation. Beyond the direct emotions of fear, sorrow, even anger…is the larger feeling that world as we once knew it has been overturned. We no longer know which way is up or where to find a port in the storm. It is in these moments – perhaps more […]

Doubt is a part of every intimate relationship. No matter how confident we are in the love of another, there are times when we wonder if that love endures (if it was every really there at all). It happens in friendships, families, marriages…and in our relationship with God. We ought not be surprised by this or […]

We've all heard of the "foxhole prayer" – pleading with God in our most desperate hour. It's an experience we've all had, and one that often comes with a tinge of guilt: Will God be angry that we turn to prayer only when we are overcome with fear? Take heart, then, to know that the […]

The great gift of the psalms is that they give us the words to pray from the depth of our soul, to give words to our experience. We pray them not because they are the "approved" prayers of the church, but because they help us articulate (and thus feel) what is most true about ourselves […]

Prayer is not a duty. It is not the means of gaining favor with God or demonstrating devotion. Rather, prayer is the means of making genuine contact with the Father who loves us. And the ultimate fruit of prayer is…happiness. (Note that the opening word of the Psalms is "Happy!") In this continuing look at […]

What if I told you, you could build a life of meaningful connection to God in a matter of minutes a day? Really! I know it sounds like a cheap hook for a diet pill, but it happens in this case to be true. You can build a habit of prayer in minutes a day by using […]

Jesus said the way to be first is to be last; the way to life abundantly is to die to self; and the way to maturity is to become like a little child. In this episode we examine the Fifth Rule of the Spiritual Life: Let God be Your Father. One of the greatest challenges […]

Ever since Plato, it has been tempting to equate "spiritual" with "ideal" – to imagine that spiritual growth is a way out of the pains and sufferings and frustrations of life. And many a well-intentioned person has taken up the life of prayer in the hope of transcendence (escape?). But perfection does not belong to […]