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

Having – hopefully – made the theological case for contemplation (as St. Ignatius of Loyola describes it), in this episode our pal, Jon Saur, gives a short example of the practice. This sermon was preached on Palm Sunday 2015 and thus uses the traditional story of Jesus’s “triumphal entry” into Jerusalem as the gospel text to […]

“Contemplation” is one of the most transformational practices I was ever taught. While the word carries connotations of abstract pondering, for St. Ignatius it describes a very active method of reading the Bible (more on why we care about St. Ignatius is found here.) What Ignatius reminds us is that Jesus is truly risen. That […]

If we believe that God is actively seeking to communicate with us (see Loving God 101, Part 1 and Part 3), then we would be wise to go the places where we know God’s voice is loudest.  We’ve already examined some of these (e.g., sacraments, acts of compassion and service to others). But the place where God’s […]

Love is learned by experience. I often think of it as osmosis – absorbing from the environment. In other words, if we want to love, we must begin by being regularly in the presence of love to let it have its effect on us. Understanding this has many implications for the relationships we form, the […]

For most of Christian history, the central element of both corporate worship and individual prayer has been regular participation in the sacrament of  Communion.  Indeed, the Roman Catholic mass still centers on the Eucharist (as the Lord’s Supper is also called) as the priest consecrates the elements of bread and wine and invites the people of God […]

Learning to “hear” God’s voice (i.e., “discernment”) actually begins by learning what is not God’s voice. That is to say, each of us arrives to our relationship with God with many voices in our head – the voices of our family, our culture, our friends…the voice of Reason, of our deepest hopes, our deepest fears.  Indeed, […]

For most of us “confession” does not sound like a very liberating idea. For me it used to conjure images of self-loathing, as I enumerated my sins with with heaps of guilt on the side.  (Martin Luther was plagued by such feelings early in his life – often returning to confession right after he left […]

Healthy progress in any aspect of our lives requires that we pause from time to time and take an honest examination of our present state.  But in a culture of constant comparison and competition, such exercises often only serve to dispirit and magnify our sense of dissatisfaction with ourselves.  In this episode we examine the […]

John Sauer, a friend of the host and an aspiring Presbyterian minister, dives deep into the concept of sacred time in this enlightening conversation. He discusses practical ways to integrate sacredness into daily life, challenging conventional views of Sabbath observance. Sauer highlights the significance of rituals like Kaddish and explores how personal struggles with sacred time can lead to deeper spiritual connections. The dialogue emphasizes transforming chaotic moments into opportunities for divine connection, showcasing the beauty of a faith-driven perspective on time.

One of the great struggles in the life of faith is the sense that God is vastly distant. We may talk about “intimacy” and “relationship” and “making contact.”  But in day-to-day experience, it feels like we do a good bit of talking to God, and God rarely talks back. Yes, we have been given the […]