Easter and the Death of a Son
Twenty-three years ago, my sister Becky lost her son in an accident as he walked home from school. Is there any greater sadness for any parent than …
Intimate Theology
Do We Know What We Worship?
In 1930, legendary economist John Maynard Keynes wrote an essay about our future lifestyle in the twenty-first century. He predicted that industrial …
Rewiring My Fears
After four years of trying to sell our old house, we finally moving into our new house last August. To prepare it for retreats, I’ve been immersed in …
Indispensable or Invited?
Last week I visited my oldest son to celebrate a few birthdays. He showed me a picture of a time he helped me fix a drive shaft on my old pickup. He …
Gifts and Gods
When I fly, I never talk to the person next to me. I sit quietly and read a book while they sit quietly and watch a video, just as God ordained …
Intimate Theology
Two years ago I met with a man who had left his job to pursue mission work. He had devoted his remaining years to helping other people create a legacy …
Meeting Jesus in Mystery
I recently read an article in which the author rejects any kind of fear of God. He especially hates the beavers’ descriptions of Aslan in The Lion, …
How Do We Measure the Fruit of Our Lives?
My father pastored five different churches between 1949 and 1994. His first four churches averaged 200 members, and his last church grew from 250 to …
Shut Down by a Sneer
Six weeks ago, I flew back from a Hearing God retreat in Seattle. I sat next to a young man—thirty-ish—who was returning home from a job interview. He …
Betrayed
Last week I woke up in a nightmare. The dream seemed real, like an IMAX theater with heart-throbbing surround-sound and mountain-shaking sub-woofers. …
I Was Ashamed of Myself
I was small for my age. When I graduated from high school, I was 5 feet 7 inches and 120 pounds. (I added 2 inches and 25 pounds in the first two …
What A Fool I Was!
Shortly after graduating from university, I took a trip with my new boss to a conference. He was about to give an important presentation, but over …